College Town Love - A Bubbline FanFic
by AshleyHimura
Summary: Bonnibel Buchman is a junior in college at Heron University. She's one of the smartest students on campus and has plenty of friends, both old and new. But when some of those friends trick her into coming to a singles night at a local bar, she has a chance encounter in the form of a tall rocker girl with long, wild black hair. [Rated M for possible future content]
1. Friday Night Out

**[Author's Note: I do not own any rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit from publishing this work of fanficton.] **

Bonnibel Buchman groaned quietly to herself as the alarm on her smartphone rang out, signaling the start of her early day. She let out a small huff as she remained in bed thirty seconds longer, wishing that her phone would just shut off of its own accord. Instead she was greeted with the backup alarm she set on her actual alarm clock. Growling in her head at the unwelcome addition to what was shortly becoming a symphony of obnoxious sounds, she flung the covers off of herself and climbed down the side of her lofted bed to silence both musicians in the midst of their crescendo.

"Another early morning," Bonnibel said aloud to no one in particular. Walking past her bed towards her closet and mirror, she took note of the empty bed on her right. _It looks like Selina didn't make it back last night. What a surprise..._she thought to herself. Her roommate, Selina P. was a shorter girl with a love for both parties and sports. Bonnie didn't really have a lot in common with her, and while she didn't hate the girl, they didn't really connect. But at least the girl was respectful and considerate.

Bonnie pulled open her drawers and selected her clothes for the day: a white graphic t-shirt, a pair of purple jeans, and a pink hooded sweatshirt to keep herself warm. Looking up into the mirror over her dresser, she began to run a brush through her long, pink hair. She loved pink, and didn't really care that it was an odd color to dye her hair. It had even earned her the nickname "Princess Bubblegum" back in high school—a name she still went by on occasion. Smiling at being reminded of her old nickname and the memories she had with the friends who gave it to her, she finished her hair and threw today's essentials into her backpack. Walking back between the beds to look over the mini-fridge and out the window to check the weather, she saw bits of white on the ground in scattered places. _Looks like it's time to wear my winter coat._ Lifting said coat off one of the posts on her bed, she sat down in the small chair she brought from home so that she could spend just a few more minutes collecting herself for the day ahead.

The smartphone (now in her pocket) cried out again. This was her additional backup alarm, or as she liked to call it, her "get-your-lazy-butt-out-of-bed" alarm. She always liked to have a contingency plan, in this case for if she slept through her other two alarms, which she told herself was unlikely but possible. Grabbing her room keys, Bonnie left her room and locked the door behind her.

She took the stairs at a brisk pace, more from habit than from haste. She opened the door and felt the cold but gentle wind hit her skin. _Maybe I can make it across campus in 4 minutes. I should at least try so that I can compare it to my walking time later this winter when the snow hits._ Bonnie shuddered at the thought of walking through the snow every morning, but put it aside as she looked ahead and marched off to be just slightly early for class, just as she was every morning.

Her school was located in a small college town called Minton. It was a good twenty minute drive to the nearest city of a fair size, which was called Eiswood. The college itself, popularly referred to as Heron, was a public university. It was started named in the honor of William "Billy" Heron, the founder. Campus was cut in half, having a few buildings on what was called "North Campus," and as a result the school dominated much of the town. It looked fairly old, mostly made of brick exteriors. And if Bonnie's residence hall was anything to go by, it could use some updating. She got one of the older halls, one that hasn't been renovated, because she was a transfer student. All transfers and international study students were placed in the same dorm. It hadn't really bothered Bonnie that much, as she had made many friends who lived close to her. But she could recall the first week in her room at the end of the summer, during which she had no fan. An open window could only do so much for ventilation in a fourth floor room with no air conditioning.

Bonnie finally made it to class, ready to be productive for the day. After all, she hated wasting time. A short breather to steel herself for her long day, and Bonnie stepped in to class.

Bonnie practically slumped into her chair in the cafeteria, exhausted after most of her classes had passed. She still had a night class, but she elected not to think about it so that she could get some food in her stomach. She was just about to start eating when she heard someone call her name.

"Bonnie! Sorry I'm late today!"

"Oh, hi Rainy. I didn't know if you were going to make it or not," Bonnie said with a smile as her friend sat down across from her.

Rainy was a friend from high school who had decided to come to the same university as Bonnie. Rainy was from Korea, and her family had moved to Bonnie's hometown of Ooo just before Bonnie had finished junior high. Bonnie was the only person in the area who spoke any Korean (a rare talent that she was quite proud of), so they had become fast friends. Rainy was not actually the girl's given name. It was a nickname that originated from her fascination with rainbows and unicorns, and was originally referred to by the school as "Rainicorn," but over time it was shortened to "Rainy." To this day Rainy liked to look a little flamboyant—dyed blonde hair and multiple rainbows displayed on her clothing. Bonnie could scarcely recall a time when she _hadn't_ seen her friend sporting a rainbow of some kind.

"Yes, sorry about that. The lecture ran long today, so I couldn't leave right away," Lady apologized as she slid her book bag off of her shoulders and under the table.

"Don't worry about it."

"I have an exciting plan for this weekend. Are you busy?" Rainy asked with a gleam in her eyes.

"I don't have anything planned in particular. Why? What would we be doing?"

"We're going to a bar down the street. They're going to have some live music on Friday." Rainy's excitement was steadily growing as she prepared to talk about what seemed like an eventful evening. But Bonnie's outlook on their weekend plans dropped out from under her.

"Oh...sounds like fun." Bonnie was not a fan of bars. She didn't drink much, if at all. She didn't really like the atmosphere, and she definitely did not like drunken guys hitting on her all night. "Is Jake coming too?"

"Yes, of course! Lots of our friends are coming. Berries, Trudy..." Rainy's list went on, rambling off some of their mutual friends or acquaintances. Bonnie noticed that they were all women, but did not comment on the subject. She was too preoccupied with wondering whether she was going to have a good time on Friday or not. She hoped Jake's company would make things better. Jake was also from Ooo and was in a very sweet relationship with Rainy. He was strong, despite his small stature. He had short blonde hair and liked the color yellow a lot. The two were very close, but Jake had been so busy lately that he hadn't been accompanying Rainy to any of their hangout sessions. Bonnie missed his interesting outlook on life and his laid-back attitude. She could only imagine how Rainy must be feeling, but then again her friend was very patient.

"Alright, well, count me in. I'll be there."

"That's great! I'm so excited to bring you along!"

"Yeah. It'll be fun. Hey, would you mind switching to Korean for a while? I could use some practice." As lunch passed by and the two girls chattered away in the Korean tongue, Bonnie grew even more uneasy about the coming weekend.

Friday finally rolled around, and Bonnie met her friends in front of the dorm. She was dressed casually, in pink jeans and a purple long-sleeved top. With a quick hello to Jake, the group started walking. Being a perceptive girl, Bonnie instantly knew something was off. With the exception of her, Jake, and Rainy, the rest of the group was dressed a little sharper. Not little black dress sharp, but definitely wearing clothes that showed off their figures a little more than usual. It made her curious, but she didn't comment on it. _I've never been to this place before, so maybe they expect people to dress like that? But then why aren't Jake and Rainy dressed up? Something fishy is going on here..._

The herd made its way down the central street of Minton, entering the segment between the two halves of campus. This street in particular had large number of the town's bars on it, and all of the buildings looked even older than the ones on campus. Finally they stopped in front of a slightly larger one, and as the door opened the sound of casual mood music that was notable but not distracting drifted out to them. They strolled inside, and as she cleared the doorway Bonnie saw a large banner over the bar, printed in simple, block lettering. It read "Minton Singles Night." Smaller print beneath said "Ladies drink half price. Come meet eligible bachelorettes!"

Bonnie looked slowly from the banner to where Rainy and Jake were standing. Both of them had sheepish grins on their faces. Suddenly, Bonnie put two and two together and figured out the _real_ reason she was brought on this little outing.

_They didn't..._


	2. Meeting the Vampire Queen

**Author's Note: I do not own any rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. Also, I make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.**

**Ok everyone, Chapter 2, here we go! I hope you all enjoyed the first one, even though Marceline hasn't made her appearance yet. I wanted to say that I had a fairly well developed plan for how I wanted to start this story, but none for how I wanted it to progress after a certain point. Thus as time goes forward, updates will be slower as I try to add new material to the story. I know we all love this pairing (my OTP, personally) and we all hate waiting for the stories we follow to update. But be patient with me, and I will do my best not to disappoint. Now let's see how Bonnie is dealing with being set up, shall we?**

_They didn't..._

As Bonnie continued to look into her friends' grinning faces, she knew the answer. _They did._

"So..." Bonnie began to step closer to Jake and Rainy so she could speak to them easier over the music. "Singles night, huh? Guys get to meet bachelorettes in the area while we get loose on booze?"

"Yeah. Good thing we picked tonight to go out. How lucky are we?" Jake said with the same grin he'd been holding since they arrived. His spoke like he was halfway between reveling in his and his girlfriend's moment of victory, and hoping the game was still afoot.

"Right. Just so I'm clear, what was the point of this little ploy again?" Bonnie interrogated, letting her irritation show just a little. It was Rainy's turn to chime in.

"Well, you always say you're too busy focusing on school and hanging out with us to go on dates. So we thought...maybe we could help you. You _have_ been single since the end of junior high..." Rainy began to fidget just a little. She could tell the set-up had upset her friend more than Jake was aware.

"Yes, I'm a busy girl, it's true. But I also don't _want_ to date right now. I don't need to be dating someone to be happy with my life." Bonnie gave a heavy sigh, looked away for a moment, and then back at her two friends. _They were just trying to help, I suppose._ "I know you guys meant well, but I'm not really comfortable in bars. You never know what kinds of people float through here. I'll stay and spend the evening out with you all, but I'm not going to do the singles thing they're throwing, ok?"

Jake and Rainy both nodded, Rainy feeling bad for her deception, and Jake finally understanding that Bonnie wasn't feigning her aggravation. He looked like a dog with its tail between its legs after it has misbehaved. Bonnie knew that she had made her point, and that it was time to forgive and forget. She moved forward to hug the two blondes to show them that there were no hard feelings.

"It's alright, I forgive you both. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go order some crummy, fried bar food."

* * *

The night dragged on, and Bonnie spent most of it at a booth talking to Rainy and Jake. She had a nice time after all. She didn't even get hit on, which she appreciated given the false pretenses she was invited under. A little before midnight, Jake and Rainy started to look tired.

"Hey PB, I think Rainy and I are gonna go. We've both been pretty tired lately, so we're going to try and get some extra sleep." Jake yawned and pulled up his yellow hoodie. Bonnie grinned at the abbreviation of her old nickname and stood up to bid her friends goodnight. "Sorry again about the set-up, Princess." Bonnie shook her head and gave both of her friends a hug again.

"It's ok. I know you were both just looking out for my happiness. Go get some sleep. I'll stay with the rest of the girls until they leave."

"Thank you for your forgiveness, Bonnie. I won't set you up again unless you ask me to." Rainy still looked a little upset, but another smile from Bonnie seemed to put her at ease.

"Goodnight guys. Let's do something tomorrow or Sunday after I finish my paper." Jake and Rainy nodded and waved as they walked out the door. Bonnie waved back, and relocated to the bar so she could keep an eye on the room for the other girls. She sat there for another forty-five minutes or so, and the rest of her party slowly trickled out the door. Some looked happy, others disappointed, but none of them too drunk to make it back to their rooms. 12:50 came and Bonnie was the last member of the group at the bar. _Figures. I didn't even want to be at an event like this and I'm the last one here._ She sighed and turned to the bar, intending to order a small drink to calm herself down before she went back to her room to sleep. But before she could order, she heard a _plop _as someone sat at the stool to her left. She turned to look at the person and her breath caught in her throat.

Next to her sat a girl slightly taller than she was, wearing a gray tank top, blue skinny jeans, a gray sweater with red stripes on the sleeves tied about her waist, and a pair of red boots. She had notably pale skin which contrasted beautifully with long, raven-colored hair that looked as if it would pass her knees when she stood up. It seemed disheveled, but also incredibly soft and silky. As she continued to stare, the newcomer turned to meet her gaze, and Bonnie was struck by the girl's eyes. They should be brown, but they were a shade she had never seen before, and almost looked more red than brown. The pale girl next to her gave her a confident smirk that was somehow charming.

"Whatcha' starin' at, Pinkie?" Bonnie snapped back to reality and realized she was blushing.

"Wh-what? Oh no, nothing." The girl with the raven hair chuckled at her.

"If you say so, Pinkie." Bonnie frowned slightly at the unwelcome moniker, deciding to set the new girl straight.

"My name's not Pinkie, you know."

"Oh? Could have fooled me. What _is_ your name then?"

"It's Bonnibel. Bonnibel Buchman. My friends sometimes call me Princess Bubblegum." Realizing that she had just given this random stranger a very personal piece of information, her blush returned and she let out a small huff. _Why would I tell her that? No one wants to know my high school nickname. She must think I'm a complete child—she'll probably make fun of me. _Her fears turned out to be unfounded, however, as the pale girl gave her a genuinely warm smile and a small giggle.

"Princess Bubblegum? That's like, totes cute. I can see where that comes from I guess, but I'll just call you Bonnie, if you don't mind."

"Th-that's fine. Most people do, after all." Still blushing slightly, Bonnie decided that since she had given this random girl even more information than she needed to, she should at least get something in return to put them on even footing. "And what about you? Do I get a name to put to this new person, or should I just invent one?"

"Ha ha, don't worry about it, Princess. The name's Marceline. But if you want _my_ full title, I'm called Marceline the Vampire Queen." _The Vampire Queen? That sounds vaguely familiar..._ "So what's a princess like you doing at a singles event like this? Looking for your Prince Charming?"

"Ugh. Definitely not. My friends set me up because they knew I wouldn't come on my own. I only stayed to hang out with them and to make sure the rest of the girls made it out without any issues. What about you? You don't look like you've done much mixing about tonight. Why are you here if you're not drinking or dating?"

"I'm working, Princess."

"You work here?"

"Not exactly, but I've come here in the past and the bartender heard that I have some experience with audio equipment. He already had music for tonight, but he needed some help managing the speakers and stuff, so he paid me to help out tonight. I do kinda wish it had been a paying music gig though."

"You're a musician?"

"Bass guitar, baby. Got a sweet red one that I modified using an old axe that was a family heirloom. And when I say axe, I mean, like, a _real_ axe that you cut people with. Dad was mad at first, but he got over it when I showed him I could take good care of it."

"Wow. That's very impressive. I think I'd really like to see that. And hear you play it too, if you don't mind."

"Really? I would think someone who dresses like you wouldn't have any interest in an axe-bass made by some rocker chick she just met, but you seem really cool. I live around here, so, if you want to check it out sometime..."

"I'd like that. Where exactly do you live?"

"I have an apartment not too far from campus so that I can walk to class without having to use my motorcycle." _Musician with an interesting guitar, rides a motorcycle, and seems really friendly. Maybe I should get to know her..._

"It's getting really late. Maybe we should be going soon. Not to say I want to stop talking to you, but you're starting to look like you really need a rest. How about a quick drink and we get out of here?" Bonnie looked up at the clock behind the bar and noticed that they had been talking for over an hour. It was nearly 2 in the morning, and she had a paper to write. She nodded and Marceline smiled. "Can I get two shots here?"

"Sure thing, Marceline," said the bartender. He poured the alcohol and brought them to the two girls. "Consider it a bonus for all your help tonight." Marceline grabbed hers as soon as it was set down and threw it back, giving the glass a small slam as she put it back on the bar.

"Tell you what, Bonnie, I'll walk you back to your place. It's always good to have a buddy if you've got some booze in your system." Bonnie was touched that Marceline cared so much after only just meeting her. She nodded and gave a small "thank you" as Marceline slipped her sweater over her head and walked outside. Bonnie was settling up for the bar food from earlier, when the bartender spoke to her in a hushed voice.

"Heads up. Guy that's been eyeing you from across the room is coming." No sooner had he finished than the guy sat down next to her.

"Hey there, sweetheart. My name's Rick. Feel like getting your heart stolen by a total stud?"

"Not interested, thank you. In fact I'm going home with a friend right after this drink." Frowning slightly, he pointed out the window to where Marceline was waiting.

"That her?" Bonnie turned to follow his gesture.

"Yeah, that's her. She was nice enough to make sure I got home ok." Marceline noticed she was being watched, and she waved at Bonnie. As she was doing so, however, her face went from friendly to terrified. Bonnie had reached down to drink her shot so that she could send this guy packing and leave with her new friend, and as she lifted it Ricky spoke again.

"Maybe you should just send her away, 'cause I'm pretty sure you're going home with me tonight." _Whatever,_ Bonnie thought to herself as she drank her shot. As she did, Marceline's expression turned from terror to rage, and she raced back inside as fast as she could.

"Get away from her, creepo!" Marceline screamed at the top of her lungs. She sprinted across the room and sucker punched Ricky, causing him to fall to the floor with a loud crash.

"What the hell is going on here?!" shouted the bartender. Marceline turned to him, still with her voice raised.

"This guy just drugged Bonnie!"

"_What?!" _Bonnie and the bartender both reacted in unison, and Bonnie looked down at her glass. The bartender rolled up his sleeves and "escorted" Ricky out of the bar. All Bonnie could do was stare into the empty shot glass and think, _Oh glob..._

_**Ok, so, I know this one was long. Still, Marceline finally showed up. And if anyone takes the time to read these notes before and after the story, I would appreciate if anyone spots something that might be out of character for Bonnie or Marcy that they could let me know. **_


	3. A Ride Home

**[Author's Note: I own no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make absolutely no profit from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

_Oh glob..._

"Princess? Bonnie? Are you ok?" Marceline asked, concern evident in her voice. She moved to the pink-haired girl's side and put a hand on her shoulder.

"I...I don't know." Her heart started to race. _What did that guy do to me? What did he put in my drink? What's going to happen to me? Ok, ok, calm down. Panic is only going to spread the drug faster. I need to relax. _She took a deep breath to calm herself down. Marceline was leaning in, her expression growing more upset by the minute. Bonnie turned to look at her and faked a smile to reassure her new friend that she would be fine.

"We need to get you out of here, Bonnie. Whatever he slipped into your shot, it can't be good news." Marceline took Bonnie by the hand and pulled her off the bar stool, causing her to blush at the sudden contact. She felt herself become instantly warmer. She wasn't given time to process it though, as Marceline was busy pulling her out the door and onto the street. "Which way is your dorm?"

"It's...it's that way," Bonnie said, pointing back down the street in the direction she and her group had come from. "I live in North Star Hall."

"Then let's get you back there as fast as possible." Again Marceline was pulling Bonnie by the hand, walking at a pace that was something between speed walking and jogging, clearly trying not to sprint as she masked her fear. The girl called The Vampire Queen became wrapped up her worries about tonight being a bad memory for her new pink friend. _Great, Marceline. Just great. You leave her for one minute and she gets drugged. She's probably going to hate you for abandoning her or something. You blew it with the coolest girl you've met since you moved here. Some new friend you are!_

They had been walking for what seemed like half an hour, but was in reality only a few minutes when Marceline noticed the weight she was pulling behind her was getting heavier. She turned back to look at Bonnie and saw exactly what she feared: the drugs were beginning to take effect. Bonnie's eyes were becoming unfocused, and she was struggling to keep the pace Marceline set. In fact, she seemed like she was ready to fall over as they neared the last crosswalk before they would enter campus.

"M-Marceline...why do you have to move so fast? I'm so tired...can't we just...sit down?" Bonnie's speech was a little slurred, and she began to stumble.

"Hang in there, Bonnie!" Not wasting a second, she knelt down and pulled the girl's arms over her shoulders. "Hold onto me tight! We're going to your room!" Bonnie nodded dazedly, and managed to note through the drug-induced fog in her mind that Marceline was a lot stronger than her lithe frame would suggest.

Bonnie wrapped her legs around Marceline's waist and off they went, Marceline propping up Bonnie's thighs from beneath as she hauled her pink friend down the sidewalk all the way to the entrance of her dorm. At this point, Bonnie had had enough of being carried. She pushed herself awkwardly off of Marceline's back and began to fumble in her pocket for her ID, which would unlock the door.

_BEEP! _The card lock deactivated, allowing Bonnie to pull open the door.

"Well, goodnight Marceli—oof!" Bonnie's legs gave out from under her as she fell backward and straight into Marceline, who grabbed her around the waist and held her up. "S-sorry about that." Normally Bonnie would have been embarrassed enough to blush at this moment, but the drugs had really gotten to her and now she knew it.

"You can barely stand up." Marceline picked her up again, this time princess style, and held onto her tightly so that she couldn't escape. "Where's your room?"

"404." Marceline turned to the stairwell, and it occurred to Bonnie what a predicament she was in. _Look at me, putting my trust in some stranger I just met. Now she knows exactly where I live. Not only that, but I'm so disoriented right now that I would probably have to do anything she wanted of me. Plenty of horror stories about nights on the town go down this road, and most of the endings aren't good._

"Bonnie, I need your key." Still completely at the mercy of both the drugs and the vampire girl, she handed over her room key and was carried inside. Looking over to her roommate's bed, she thanked her lucky stars that Selina was out again tonight. Marceline put her down in her small chair, but she immediately got up so that she could get ready for bed.

"Where's your roommate?" Marceline questioned, turning to look around the other occupant's side of the room.

"She's probably staying with her friends again tonight. She's like, never here."

"But that means there's no one to keep an eye on-" Marceline stopped in mid-sentence as she looked back over at Bonnie, only to see that she was undressing right in front of her. "B-Bonnie! What are you doing?!"

"I'm just getting ready for bed. Chill out, Marcy." Clearly all of her inhibitions had been wiped away by the drug, because this was not something people normally do. Marceline was blushing furiously as she watched her new friend lose more and more of her clothing. A simple but tasteful bra and matched pair of panties greeted the rocker's wide eyes. "We're both girls, so who cares?"

"Uhm, did you call me Marcy?"

"Yeah, you like, need a nickname. You call me Bonnie, not Bonnibel. So I'm gonna call you Marcy."

"Whatever you say, Princess. But could you please put some clothes on?" Marceline looked away, trying to hide her blush. "It's making me kinda uncomfortable."

"Oh. Sure." The easiest thing Bonnie had to wear to bed was a pair of pajama pants, so she slipped into those, completely neglecting to wear a shirt. Still blushing, Marceline dug into a pocket on her sweater and pulled out a small, rolled up bundle of black fabric.

"Here. Wear this." She handed the bundle to Bonnie, who unrolled it and saw that it was a band t-shirt.

"Where did this come from?"

"I got it at a concert a few years back. I was wearing it earlier when I was setting up the audio stuff, but I got too hot, so I took it off and just kept my tank top underneath. It might be a little sweaty, but it should be fine for one night." Instead of putting it on, Bonnie lifted to shirt to her face and took a long, audible whiff of the smell. Marceline was utterly shocked, and her blush became even more intense.

"No, it's not bad. It's actually kinda nice. Thank you." Bonnie gave her a smile, though her face clearly showed she was still under the influence of whatever Ricky drugged her with. She pulled the shirt over her head, and posed to show it off to Marceline. It looked surprisingly nice with her pink pajama pants. Marceline caught herself staring, and thought it best to move things along.

"Wh-whatevs. It's cool. But you should probably get into bed now."

"Yeah. You're probably right." Bonnie struggled to get her still wobbly legs to carry her up the bed frame, so Marceline climbed up the other side and pulled Bonnie up from the top. After a few moments of awkward positioning, Bonnie was finally ready to sleep.

"You should be ok in the morning. I can't promise you'll feel the greatest, but the drugs will have worn off at least." Marceline looked down at Bonnie, who was slowly losing her battle with sleep.

"Thank you for helping me get home, Marceline. It was very nice of you to protect me the way you did." Bonnie gave her vampiric friend another sweet but hazy smile.

"No probs. I should get going though. You're going to need your rest." With a final look at Bonnie, and a final blush at seeing her in the band t-shirt, Marceline swiveled around to hop down from the bed, but was stopped by an unexpected pair of arms around her neck. Bonnie had sat up in bed and was holding Marceline back, resting her head on the other girl's shoulder.

"Please don't go. I've never had this happen to me before. I'm...I'm scared. Can't you stay?" Marceline froze for a moment, wondering how much of this was coming from the drugs and how much was actually fear. But there was something in Bonnie's voice. She couldn't find it in her heart to deny the princess her request. She took a deep breath before letting out a small sigh.

"...alright. I'll stay, Bonnie. I'll just sleep in your roommate's bed." Again Marceline tried to hop off the bed, but again she was stopped from doing so. "Bonnie, I have to get down." Silence. "Bonnie?"

"Zzzzz..." Bonnibel couldn't respond because she was snoring lightly against Marceline's shoulder. Attempting to pull free without waking her friend was clearly out of the question. But what was she supposed to do now? _Just sleep here, I guess. Wait—what?! Where did _that_ come from? Then again, I really don't want to wake her...ugh! What's wrong with you tonight, Marceline?! _

She was still debating with herself about whether she should just wake Bonnie up when the answer was decided for her. Bonnie started to fall back to her pillow, pulling a stunned and confused Marceline down with her. At the point, Bonnie was snoring peacefully while Marceline stared at nothing in particular. _No way out of this now,_ she thought. Despite her disbelief at the strange and precarious situation she suddenly found herself in, Marceline lifted the pink comforter and slid underneath. After spending the next few minutes taming her heartbeat, sleep finally found the Vampire Queen.

**Well, that was an interesting end to the night. Also, how do people feel about the formatting of these chapters? Spacing and all that. Feedback appreciated! **


	4. The Morning After

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. Also, I make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.] **

**Woo! Multi-Update! You guys are totes lucky that the start of this story is taking more chapters to get out than I expected. Anyways, enjoy the wonderful Bubbline, and as always, please review.**

At the sound of an alarm on her smartphone, Bonnie's eyes shot open. She sat bolt upright, all of her thoughts attacking her at once. She looked around the room for her phone, finding it on the bookshelf behind her. She reached over to shut it off, and noticed that the time read 9:00 AM. What was going on here? Her phone was set to go off at a different time, it was in the wrong place, and..._What am I wearing? This shirt doesn't belong to me. What happened last night? _The idea of Recalled Memory Therapy popped into her head, so without thinking she pulled the shirt over her nose and inhaled deeply. She recognized numerous scents on the shirt: a hint of sweat, a smell something like old books, definitely strawberries, and the fresh smell of clear night air..._Marceline..._

Marceline! The girl she had met last night at the bar, the girl who said she was going to walk her home. Memories returned in a mixed blur of recollection. The last thing she remembered was some guy coming onto her after Marceline walked out the door..._Did Marceline leave without me? She seemed like she really wanted to get to know me. Maybe she was just being polite..._She didn't know why, but when she thought that last part her stomach twisted into knots and she felt extremely disheartened. Just then she hear a key in the door. It opened up to reveal-

"Marceline! You didn't leave! You're here!" Bonnie leaped off the bed and hugged a damp Marceline very tightly. "I'm so glad you didn't go."

"You asked me to stay, so I did. I just borrowed your keys so that I could take a shower." Marceline returned the hug, smiling warmly as she rested her nose on pink hair. _Bonnie smells so nice...no! Pay attention, Marceline._

"I asked you to stay?" This sounded off to her. It wasn't like her to invite new people into her (mostly) private room. And then there was this shirt..."Marceline, is this _your_ shirt?"

"Oh, yeah. You uh...wait, you don't remember? Do you remember anything from last night?" Marceline looked at her friend and temporary bunkmate with the same concern she had the night before.

"N-no, I really don't. I remember meeting you, and talking to you, and you got us a free drink. The last thing I remember was you walking out the door and me being hit on by some guy."

"Bonnie..." Marceline took a deep breath before continuing. "That guy drugged you. You turned to look at me outside and he slipped it into your drink. Your memory loss is probably a side effect." Bonnie was a little shocked to hear that. She usually has her wits about her, and is very careful not to put herself in a situation where someone could take advantage of her like that.

"How...? How could I have let this happen? Did...did he do anything else to me?" Bonnie asked her new friend, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Oh, no way! Nothing else. I saw him drug you, so I ran back in and punched him right in his stupid face!" Marceline threw a punch over Bonnie's shoulder into nothingness to illustrate her point. There was a blush running over Bonnie's face as she realized that the Vampire Queen had potentially saved her life.

"You did? Well, what happened then? I had to get home somehow, but if I was drugged I was probably in no shape to walk for very far." As she continued looking into Marceline's eyes, she could swear she saw a blush sweep across the pale girl's face.

"Oh yeah, you were, like, a total mess on the way home. So I...kinda...carried you back to your room." By the time Marceline had finished her statement, she was nervously rubbing her hand over the back of her head as if she had some kind of itch. Meanwhile, Bonnie was taken aback at the great lengths this girl had gone to safeguard her. She was beyond touched, and for the first time in a long time was at a loss for words. Instead of responding, she rested her head against Marceline's chest and leaned against her for support. _Marceline...you're...incredible. You saved me, and you don't even know me that well. _

"Careful there, Princess. Your legs must still be a little weak." Marceline wrapped her arms around Bonnie in a more protective manner. Both girls just stood in the doorway to Bonnie's room, enjoying each others' embrace before Bonnie realized that she hadn't showered yet. She pulled away enough to meet Marceline's gaze.

"I uh...I should probably get in the shower. Will you still be here when I get out?"

"Only if you want me here, Princess." Marceline said that, but she knew that she really did want to stay.

"...please don't leave just yet." This brought another warm smile to Marceline's face.

"Sure thing, your majesty. I'll just chill out in your room. Have a good shower," Marceline said, handing Bonnibel the room key. Bonnie simply nodded in response, and walked out the door.

The door shut and Bonnie fell against it and sank to the floor. _What's wrong with me? I blush at the drop of a hat, I'm all flustered, and this strange feeling in my chest...is this the side effects of the drug? Focus, Bonnibel! Get your head on straight. This girl is gonna think you're totally weird and she's not gonna wanna hang out with you anymore! Now get in that shower! _Bonnie got up from the floor and went into the bathroom to clean up.

On the other side of the room door, Marceline was still slumped against the door where she had fallen. She was wrapped deeply in her thoughts. _If she doesn't remember the walk home...then does she remember anything else? Maybe it's better if she doesn't. But what if she does? What if she's weirded out by it? Not to mention all the other awkward stuff you've been doing since last night, Marceline. Chill out, ok? She doesn't need to know you're bisexual, and if she doesn't remember that you shared her bed last night, don't bring it up. She probably isn't into girls anyway. She's just a friend, so pick yourself up and find something to do until she comes back._

* * *

After a thorough clean, Bonnie slipped back into her sleepwear. Before she put on Marceline's shirt again, she lifted it to her nose and sniffed again before she realized what she was doing. She took in that lovely smell once again, the smell she now new was distinctly Marceline's. She caught herself enjoying it a little too much, and turned beet red as she looked around to see if anybody had been watching. Finding she was alone, she took one more deep inhale and pulled the shirt back over her head. She couldn't say what it was about Marceline's scent that made her feel so at home and comforted, but she put it out of her head as opened her door to find the Vampire Queen sitting in the office chair that the school had provided to her for her desk.

"Hey there, Bonnibel. You all squeaky clean?" Marceline gave her trademark smirk and Bonnie couldn't help but let out a small giggle.

"Yes, yes, I'm all clean." Bonnie shut her door and took the few steps to her dresser and closet to pick out her clothes for the day. She decided that she was probably going to stay in for most of the day, so she picked out a simple tank top and pair of pink yoga pants. Her thoughts returned to the shirt, and she picked it up and handed out to Marceline. "You can have your shirt back now. Thank you for lending it to me." Marceline looked at the shirt for a moment before she held up a hand.

"Nah, I hardly ever wear it any more. You should keep it—it looks really good on you."

"Really? You sure?"

"Keep it. I insist."

"W-wow...thank you, Marceline." _Wow...Marceline just gave me her shirt. Yet another kindness she's shown me, and what have I done for her? I've been nothing but a problem since she met me. Well, that stops today. If I'm Princess Bubblegum, then I'm going to act like it. Marceline deserves _something _for putting up with me last night. _"Hey, Marcy...?"

"Yes, Princess? What is it?"

"Do you want to hang out here today? After last night's excitement, I figured maybe we could spend a day relaxing. What do you think?"

"Don't you have a paper to write? There was a notification on your phone when it went off at 7 this morning." _So that's how my phone got there, _Bonnie thought to herself. In the back of her mind she was thinking that she really ought to set a password on her phone to prevent such a breach in privacy, but she was mainly focused on how Marceline had been concerned enough to reset her alarm for her.

"Oh, don't worry about that. It's only a quick 2-page analysis—I can crank one of those out in an hour. For today, let's just spend some time having fun."

"Sounds good to me, Bonnie. I could use a break. Yeah, let's hang out. What do you wanna do?"

"You know, why don't we do what you want to do? What is it the legendary Vampire Queen likes to do on her days off?"

"Hm. Well, movies are a good start. TV works too. I like jam sessions with my bass, and food is a total must. Other than that, I really don't have a problem just chilling out inside and talking to a friend."

"You know, movies at home sound great."

"But I do have to go home first. I gotta get out of these clothes and grab a bag of stuff." Marceline got up with a mischievous grin on her face. "I'll be back later, ok? See you about a half an hour." With a small wink at the pink-haired girl behind her she strode out the door. Bonnie couldn't help but be a little nervous about the return of the girl with the raven hair. And now that she was gone, it gave Bonnie some time to think while she cleaned and shifted things about in her room to make space for two friends to sit together. _She makes me so nervous, but I have so much fun just being in her presence. It's like my friendship with Rainy but...different somehow. She makes my chest feel weird, and I get butterflies in my stomach. _A bright, fluorescent bulb came on in Bonnie's head. _Do I...do I have a crush? On a _girl_?_

* * *

Right on time, there was a knock on her door. The pink-haired princess opened the door to greet her vampire friend, who was carrying a duffel bag. Slung over her back was-

"Is that your axe-bass? It's cherry red! Marceline, it's gorgeous!" Marceline couldn't help but blush as Bonnibel was admiring her handmade guitar.

"Well, you said last night you wanted to see it. Oh! Plus I brought some more...fun stuffs." At this last phrase, Marceline held up her duffel bag and did that quirky thing with her eyebrows that Bonnie knew meant Marcy had some sort of surprise in there. Marceline stepped through the door and dropped her bag over by the mini-fridge. "Oh fun. You laid some blankets out for us to sit on." With that, the vampire promptly plopped herself down onto the double layer of blankets that Bonnie had stretched over the (very, _very)_ hard carpet. It was then that Bonnibel took note of what Marceline was wearing. A grayish blue tank top with tiny polka-dots, a dark pair of pants, and blue boots with rolled over tops. The boots came off in short order, revealing cute, striped socks in red and darker gray.

"So...what should we do first?"

"How about we put on a movie? Got anything fun that we can still talk over?"

"Like what?"

"I dunno." Marceline shrugged. "You pick." Bonnie walked past her pale friend to her bookshelf where she kept her movies. She knew just what to pick. The defining sci-fi classic that everyone has seen. Popping the DVD into her player and switching the TV to the appropriate input, Bonnie hit play and let the series's signature music tell Marceline what she had selected. "I see you roll with the cinema classics. Nice choice." Bonnibel blushed ever so slightly and sat down beside the vampire, ready with questions she had thought up during Marceline's absence.

"So, you said last night that people call you The Vampire Queen. Why do they call you that?" Marceline looked at her pink friend. This question was going to require a very personal answer. But for whatever reason, she didn't feel she had to be as guarded around this girl. So she turned her back to the TV to show the princess the left side of her neck, and promptly started rubbing makeup off to reveal two small marks.

"You see these? Believe it or not, I was _actually_ bitten by a bat when I was little. Poor thing was sick and crazy with fever, so it bit me out of fear and wouldn't let go. I was alone at the time, so all I could do was struggle and thrash around to get it to open its mouth. The pain was crazy bad, but eventually it succumbed to whatever it was suffering from and died. It fell off of me and...even though it hurt me I couldn't help but feel sorry for it. Life went on and people started to comment on my scars. I started dressing darker as I got older. Eventually, I realized that I was sort of living for both me _and_ the bat. Like, I was carrying it forward so it could have a second chance. When that happened I really went full tilt and did the vampire thing up. And that's how I became the coolest vampire chick ever!"

After Marceline had finished her story, Bonnibel sat in awe at her new friend. Her tale was so spiritual and deep. It was far beyond what she had expected. Realizing she may have asked too much of Marceline too soon, she tried to cover with some silly humor.

"Coolest vampire ever, huh? Says who?"

"Well, my high school bandmates for one. We even went on tour a bit after graduation. We were called Marceline and the Scream Queens." Bonnie's eyes widened as so many small bits clicked into place. Nightos High, a smaller school for students who lived on the outer edge of Bonnie's hometown of Ooo had become somewhat of a sensation for having produced a famous band of talented students. Marceline and the Scream Queens were the talk of the town for the longest time.

"You're _that_ Marceline?! You graduated from Nightos High two years before I graduated at Ooo Senior High! I can't believe I didn't see it before!"

"Well, yeah, that's me. I didn't know _you _were from Ooo though, Bonnie." This new piece of information spawned all sorts of new questions that Bonnie wanted to ask the girl, but she thought better of further interrogating a new friend who had been so open already. It was just as well because Marceline had begun to dig into her bag.

"What are you looking for in there?"

"Food and junk. I'm hungry!" Marceline began to produce all sorts of things from her bag: strawberry soda, actual strawberries, some homemade tea bags, chocolate sandwich cookies, and a large Ziploc full of nothing but red varieties of candy. Bonnie studied the menu, making an obvious leap of logic.

"Let me guess, it's red stuff because you're a vampire?"

"Well, yeah. That and I have a real weakness for strawberry stuff. I love it." Marceline had a slightly guilty grin on her face as she said that while simultaneously placing her soda in the fridge.

"Well, you're not just going to eat that stuff, are you? That's not _real _food."

"It's not?" Marceline had paused as she was about to sink her "fangs" into a strawberry.

"No, it's not. Why don't we order something that delivers?" Bonnie thought about what was in the area. "Chinese?"

"Chinese!" Marceline grinned broadly before chomping down on her strawberry. Bonnie couldn't help but smile at her friend's silly behavior. It was just too cute.

"Alright, I'll call the Chinese place. But don't spoil your appetite, ok?"

And so it was that the girls spent the majority of the day talking, watching movies together, and bonding over Chinese and Marceline's stock of junk food. But nightfall would hold even more surprises, and not the ones Bonnie had expected.

**So, this one turned out to be even longer than I intended. I just couldn't help myself. It all kinda pours out of me. I think that maybe after I slow down a little I might go back and reorganize some things, move chapter ends and stuff. Maybe reformat some of the spacing. Please review if you get the chance! **


	5. Horror Movies

**[Author's note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.] **

**Not much to say at the top this time, just wanted to thank those who are following, and my two reviewers thus far. Thanks a lot everyone! I hope you decide to keep reading!**

"EEEEEEEEEKK!" A woman screamed as the spirit...creature...thing...whatever-it-was dragged her into a closet. Continued screams rang out as blood started to run from underneath the door, but Bonnie missed that part—she was too busy burying her face in her pillow and pretending she couldn't hear.

"Oh, chill out, Bonnie. This is just the prologue." Marceline patted her friend on the back and munched on a juicy strawberry candy. Bonnibel didn't really like horror movies. She found them to be boring, and never scary. But for whatever reason, the horror flicks Marceline had chosen to stash in her bag _did_ scare her. A lot. Maybe, she thought, she was always scared of horror films, and that she wasn't able to express that fear externally. One way or another, she was still too scared to look.

"Why would you pick such scary movies?!" Bonnie scolded her friend her voice muffled by a pink pillow. Marceline looked at the pink princess and laughed in a way Bonnie could only describe as maniacal. Now that they were more comfortable around each other, the vampire decided it was time she started living up to her nickname a little. She traced her finger quickly up Bonnie's back, touching only as light as the breeze. Bonnie instantly jumped and pulled her head out of her pillow. "What was that?!"

"What was what, Bonnibel?" Marceline feigned ignorance.

"I felt something just now, I'm sure of it."

"Nah, you must be so scared your mind is playing tricks on you. Just watch the movie. You'll be fine."

"If you say so..." Less than ten minutes along, Marceline knew her opportunity was coming. She had seen this film before, and there was a big scare coming. Bonnie was completely absorbed in the movie, so Marceline slowly shifted her way closer to Bonnie so she could get behind her. She waited for her chance, and just as the sudden startle moment happened and the scream sound effect played, Marcy grabbed Bonnie's shoulders and yelled,

"Gotcha!"

"Aaaahhh!" Marceline anticipated that Bonnie would scream. What she _didn't _anticipate however was Bonnie whipping around quicker than a flash and punching her in the jaw.

"OW! Bonnie!"

"Well, I'm sorry! You scared me!"

"Uh, duh! That was the point! But why did you punch me in the face?!"

"I'm sorry! It's just a reflex! I mean, I have some martial arts experience, so..." Bonnie looked away and let out a huge sigh. "I'm sorry, Marceline. I didn't mean to punch you. But please don't scare me like that again." Marceline thought for a moment, rubbing her sore jaw. Then her charming smirk stretched over her lips.

"Hmm...well, I can't promise _that._ After all, I _am_ The Vampire Queen." Bonnie sat back down with her pillow and huffed at her friend's teasing. "But martial arts? That's very interesting. I do appreciate a girl who can handle herself." Marceline knelt down behind her friend and wrapped her arms around her waist. Bonnie gasped quietly and couldn't move as she felt slender hands move across her stomach and pull her closer as the vampire continued speaking. "Maybe I should bite you. Recruit you for my evil army of the undead." She leaned in closer, positioning her mouth just above the skin of Bonnibel's neck, her breath causing small tremors to run through the pink-haired girl's body. "What do you think, Princess? Ha ha ha ha..." Marceline's laugh was even more sinister than before, and Bonnie's face was burning up.

"M-Marceline, that's...distasteful." Bonnie looked down, trying to hide how red her face had become. This evoked another laugh from the girl with the raven hair.

"Oh, relax, Bonnie. I won't scare you again. _Tonight._" Bonnie huffed again at the last word. But then Marceline gave her a caring squeeze, and sat down next to her. "But I will be here if you _do_ get scared. What are friends for, right?"

"...thank you, Marceline." Bonnie's heart was still pounding from the vampire girl's teasing. She couldn't help as her own thoughts drifted though. _Friends. That's what we are. Friends. But...is that all I want? _She had no way of knowing that Marceline was caught up in similar self-talk.

_What did you do that for? If she couldn't tell that you were into her before, she sure can now! She's just a friend, Marceline. You know you want more, but you know you can't have it. You just need to relax, and wait out this crush. It'll fade with time...won't it? _

The movie continued playing, and the next time a sudden scare came up on screen, Bonnie dropped her pillow and latched on to Marceline's arm, hiding her face much the same as she had with the pillow. Marceline blushed and said nothing. Instead she simply scooted closer to the pink-haired girl and put a hand on her knee. _Then again, I could get used to this._

* * *

The movie ended, and The Vampire Queen decided to take pity on the poor little Princess, and agreed to switch to watching cable instead of another horror flick. It was already almost 9:30, so there was no natural light left in the room. Bonnie flipped the four switches that operated the lights in her room, illuminating the small, but cozy space. Marceline pretended to hiss as the light hit her, and Bonnie had to stifle a giggle.

"How about something to drink?" Marceline looked to the princess and shrugged.

"Sure. But we're all out of soda." Marceline jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the recycling bin and the large plastic bottle sticking out of it. "You like tea, Princess?"

"I love tea." Bonnibel smiled broadly and Marceline returned the expression. The next thing she did was grab the tea bags Bonnie had seen earlier. "I'll get the water." Bonnie grabbed the teapot off of her dresser and went into the hall to fill it. It wasn't the proper instrument for boiling water (that being a kettle), but when you only have a microwave to cook with you learn to adjust.

Hauling a now full teapot in with her, Bonnie walked over to the microwave and set it for 8 minutes. She was about to sit back down with Marceline when a sudden chill came over her. Bonnibel knew the window in her room wasn't fantastic at keeping out the mid-November cold. She turned around and pulled her comforter off the bed, and then looked down to Marceline, who was dressed just as lightly as she was.

"Did you want to share this? I thought you might be cold."

"Nah, cold rarely bothers me. I'm fine." Marceline shrugged. Bonnie's expression drooped a little.

"Oh. Ok." Marceline instantly took note of her tone and realized she had made a mistake. So she faked a shiver and a sound of discomfort.

"On second thought, yeah, I'd really appreciate it." Marcy's quick recovery made Bonnie's face light back up as she wordlessly sat down and spread the comforter over the both of them. It was warm, and soft. But it wasn't the comforter that made The Vampire Queen heat up. _She cares. She felt cold, but she thought of me. She's a total bookworm, and she acts reserved, but she really is a warm person on the inside. _A startling BEEP told the girls that they had been sitting there and not speaking since the microwave started. Bonnie immediately got up on her knees to fetch the water and the two mugs they had been using earlier for the strawberry soda. Snagging two of the tea bags from where Marceline had set them, tea was finally served.

"Here you go, Marcy. Thanks for bringing all this food." Bonnie sat down next to her vampire friend again.

"Yeah, no problem." They sat in silence for a few more minutes. Marceline took her tea bag out, Bonnie took her cue and did so as well. They drank their tea, and the silence became so thick that the television playing in the background did nothing to cut a growing tension that Marceline felt in her gut. Finally, the silence broke.

"Marcy?"

"Yes, Bonnie?"

"I...I'm really glad I met you. You saved me from something awful. You made sure I got home, and you stayed to make sure I was ok. You've been such a good friend to me, and we've known each other less than 48 hours. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. What I'm really trying to say is..." Bonnie had been avoiding Marceline's gaze thus far, but lifted her head to meet it as she said "Thank you, Marceline."

Despite Marcy's better judgment, she put down her tea and pulled the younger girl closer to her, subsequently wrapping them both up in the comforter.

"You're welcome, Bonnie."


	6. Back to Reality

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

Marceline let out a great yawn as she finished gathering her belongings. She tossed some stuff on Bonnie's office chair as she organized things within her bag. Yawns being infectious of course, Bonnibel stifled a yawn as she watched her friend fiddle with her belongings.

"You know I don't want to kick you out, but it's like 2 AM." Another yawn. "I really need some sleep tonight."

"No probs, Bonnie. I get it. Besides, I know I'll be seeing you soon...I will, won't I?" Bonnie smiled at the friend she had become so close to in such a short amount of time. It was at that moment she realized how badly she wanted Marceline to stay, but she couldn't just tell her that. She knew it wouldn't have come out if she tried.

"Definitely, Marcy. And I can't wait for you to meet all my other friends. I think they'll really like you."

"Sounds great. But I guess I have to get going." The vampire grabbed the remainder of her things, stuffing them in her bag and walking to the door. As she crossed the threshold and turned to say farewell, Bonnie surprised her with a powerful hug.

"Bye Marcy, I'll see you soon, ok?" As Bonnie pulled back to look up at her, Marceline suddenly felt a strange reversal. It was as if Inner Marcy and Outer Marcy from before switched places. Outer Marcy was exchanging a pleasant goodbye with her pink-haired friend. Meanwhile, Inner Marcy was practically shouting. _Kiss her! Kiss her right now!_

"See you then." With that, Outer Marcy turned and walked down the hallway while Bonnie watched her go. Inner Marcy was in an uproar. _What are you doing?! Get back there and sweep that girl off her feet! _As she rounded the corner and she heard Bonnie close her door, Inner and Outer disappeared. Once again, there was just Marceline. She thought to herself about the events of the last 48 hours. _Bonnibel Buchman...what a very interesting girl._

Bonnie locked her room door, and began to change into some nightwear. As she reflected on her experiences of the last two days, and especially on the girl who saved her life, it seemed almost unreal. It was as if she was at the tail end of a dream. _Could this actually be a dream? _She looked over at her chair and saw the shirt Marceline had given her hanging on the arm. She went over to pick it up. She felt the fibers of the shirt, the printing ink...it couldn't be a dream. She slipped back into it, and lifted it over her nose as she had this morning. She inhaled deeply, taking in a smell she was beginning to know quite well. The smell of Marceline the Vampire Queen. _No, this isn't a dream. This is real. I guess truth really is stranger than fiction._ Bonnie shut off her lights, climbed up into bed, and slid under the welcoming covers. Just before she fell asleep, she heard a small sound whispered into the air. She wasn't even sure whether she heard it aloud or if it was in her head. Still, she knew exactly what was said and who said it. _Marceline..._

Bonnie passed an uneventful Sunday in her room. She did homework alone with the TV on. Her only interruptions came in the form of her stout, green-haired roommate Selina (who only came back to get some clothes before returning to her boyfriend's room), and Jake and Rainy coming around to ask her for one of the multitudes of tea she had stashed in her drawer. She caught herself hoping more than once that Marceline would call. But Monday came, and it came early.

* * *

Bonnibel sighed as she left her dorm that morning. It was all so strange to her. During her day with Marceline, she felt as though they had been in their own private world. Now she was snapping back to reality and it was so foreign to her to be back in the rush of normal events. She longed to return to the closed forest she had shared with her vampire friend. But her week was starting again, and she had to make her way to class. _Ok. Four minutes._ _Here we go._

Despite the awkwardness she felt at her return to daily life, Bonnibel had no trouble focusing on her work. Marceline didn't leave her thoughts entirely though, and she became more and more excited to talk to her friends about her weekend encounter. As her last morning class came to end, her feet couldn't carry her fast enough to the cafeteria.

"You guys, I have so much to tell you about my weekend! You're never going to believe it." Bonnie spoke excitedly at Jake and Rainy as she slid into small booth. The two blondes smiled at each other.

"Sure thing Princess. Lay it on us." Jake said. Rainy nodded and eagerly waited for her friend to begin the story.

"Ok, so, after you two left, I hung around for a while to see that the other girls didn't run into any trouble. Well, eventually, it was just me. I was gonna order a drink when someone sat down next to me. We really hit it off and talked for a good long while." Bonnie was positively beaming at that point, so Jake decided it was safe for him to jump in.

"Well look at that! The princess finally met a guy she likes! I gotta tell ya, as we were leaving I was real concerned about the set-up not working but-"

"No, no. I didn't meet a guy. At least, not one that I liked. The person who sat down next to me was a girl. She's even from our hometown of Ooo! She's super cool. Her name is Marceline." The name caused both Jake and Rainy's jaws to drop to the table. "What's that reaction for?"

"Dude, you met the Vampire Queen? Here?!" Jake had fixed his jaw, but his eyes still held the same shock as he spoke.

"You've heard of her, then?"

"Yeah! She's like, totally dangerous, man!"

"What? No she's not. What makes you say that?"

"You may want to listen, Bonnie. That girl is...complex." Rainy tried to keep her head on a little tighter than her boyfriend's.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you shouldn't hang around that girl. She was suspended a bunch of times in high school for fighting. I heard she was doing a bunch of drugs at her school dances. She's a bad chick!"

"Ugh, Jake...that sounds like petty high school gossip. Besides, how would you know? You went to Ooo Senior High with me and Rainy, not to Nightos."

"We know because we saw the aftermath of one of her fights. The boy was so badly injured that he was in the hospital for two weeks." Rainy's expression was grave.

"Guys, this is all a little farfetched, don't you think?"

"I'm telling you Princess, she's scary. Who knows what she could do to you if you make her mad?"

"This is all nonsense, and I'll prove it if you let me finish my story." Her friends paused for a moment, looking at each other. "After Marceline and I had been talking for a while, she suggested we leave. She got us both a drink, the only one we'd both had all night, and then she drank hers and went to wait outside. Before I could drink mine, a guy named Ricky took her seat and started to hit on me. I turned my back for one second and he spiked my drink. Marceline saw it from the window and ran back in and punched him in the face."

"Really? The Vampire Queen did _that?_" Rainy was curious, but Jake obviously maintained his skepticism.

"Yes, she did. She helped me walk home. In fact, when the drugs started to take effect she...she..." Bonnie blushed as she struggled to relate the next part of her tale. "...carried me to my room in her arms." Dual gasps only stopped her for a moment. "She took me inside, and she said I asked her to stay. And she did. She even gave me one of her shirts to sleep in. The next day, after she helped me piece together Friday night's events, she ran home to grab a few things and we spent the whole day together. She went home that night and...well, now you know."

"That's...incredible, Bonnie. I had no idea that she was capable of being...well...normal."

"You see? I told you. She's completely harmless. And when you meet her, you'll see for yourselves."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. You want us to _meet_ her?" Bonnie merely nodded. "I don't know, man. She creeps me out." Jake crossed his arms as he lodged his complaint.

"Now dear, if Bonnie wants us to meet her new friend, we should at least give her a chance. Besides, don't you think we owe her? If we hadn't set Bonnie up to be at that bar, she wouldn't have gotten drugged in the first place. If Marceline hadn't protected her, who knows what would have happened?"

"Hmmm...yeah, I _guess_."

"Awesome. I'll set it up with Marceline. How about this weekend? Friday after class?" Bonnie was already planting a reminder in her smartphone.

"Actually, that reminds me: Finn is coming out this weekend. You really think we should bring her around if he's here?" At this comment, Rainy jabbed her boyfriend in the arm with her elbow. Bonnie was too busy with the phone to notice though.

"Why not? I think he'd like her. Besides, I miss him. He was always a lot of fun for a younger kid."

"You know he used to like you. A lot." Bonnie stopped typing.

"He's not still hung up on me, is he? I thought that would have passed by now."

"Well, he was still pretty messed up about it after you left. But he met a new girl he really likes about three weeks ago. She just moved to Ooo. He's actually bringing her along for the weekend."

"That's nice. I hope she'll get along with Marcy too." Jake opened his mouth to comment on the fact that the vampire was already given a nickname, but Rainy silenced him with one of her "you know better" glances. This was followed by a small notification noise from Bonnie's smartphone.

"Oh, that's Marcy! I'll just ask her right now." Some electronically simulated clicking and another notification noise later, Bonnie put her phone away. "Perfect! It's all set up. I can't wait for you all to meet her!"

"Great! Great..." Jake picked up his cup and drank from it, clearly ready to start eating. Rainy dug into her meal as well, and the three friends ate in relative silence until their food was gone. Casual chatter followed, including what their plans were for Friday's get-together. Eventually their meal wrapped up, and they had to go their own ways for the time being. Bonnie found it hard to contain her growing excitement. She would get to see Marceline again! And she would prove to her other friends that she wasn't dangerous at all. She would make sure they saw how kind and caring her Vampire Queen was.

**So apparently Marcy has a reputation. But Bonnie knows her vampire has a warm heart. Anyways, if you guys would please review, that would be nice. And if you've reviewed already, please don't hesitate to comment on the newer chapters as well. Also, I would like to hear if people have any input on the spacing between lines, as I notice that the story reads a little differently when spaced apart more.**

** I hope you all decide to keep reading, because I sure enjoy writing. See you next time!**


	7. Group Reunion

**[Author's Note: I claim to rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**It's time for a little reunion. They're not exactly family, but they know each other pretty well. Where will Marceline fit into this close-knit group? Will Bonnibel be able to convince her other friends that Marceline has a good heart? And even if she does, can she trust the Vampire Queen to behave herself with the younger kids around? I guess we'll find out. **

Bonnibel walked out of her last class at around 11:15 on Friday morning, and there was only one thing on her mind. _Today is the day! Today I get to introduce Marceline to everyone. This is going to be a great day, I can feel it! _She went dashing off to the cafeteria for her usual meal with Jake and Rainy, but she couldn't anticipate the news that was waiting for her. Jake and Rainy were in the entryway, each with a to-go meal box in their hands.

"Oh, hey guys. What's up? What are we standing around here for?" Bonnie strode up to her friends, both of whom looked concerned.

"We've been waiting for you Bonnie. We have a bit of a problem."

"Finn's car broke down on the freeway, and we have to go get him. We were kinda hoping you would come with us, cause he's a good twenty minutes away." Jake jingled the keys in his hand.

"But we're supposed to meet Marceline in less than an hour!"

"We know, Bonnie. But we couldn't have seen this coming. I mean, you know what it's like to have car trouble out here in the middle of nowhere." Bonnie knew Rainy was right. She flashed back to the time when her aging white car completely died on her as she was making the turn into one of the school parking lots. Everything went out, even the power steering. She had to flag down a fellow student to use jumper cables and limp her car over to a parking space. Getting her car fixed was one of the worst experiences she'd had since coming here. But she definitely knew exactly how awful it was, and she knew Marceline would be fine with waiting.

"Alright, I'll ride along. Let me stop by my room to drop some things off, and we'll be on our way." The newly formed adventure party followed Bonnie back to her room, where she deposited her backpack and picked up a small variety of "just-in-case" items. After closing and locking the door behind her, Bonnie had to update Marceline on their new plan of attack for the day.

"_Hey Bonnibel. What's up?"_

"Hey Marcy. There's been a change in plans. Jake's brother's car broke down. We have to go get him."

"_Wow. That bites. Whatcha gonna do with the car?"_

"I dunno. Gotta have it towed someplace I guess."

"_I know a mechanic off of Main Street here in town. His prices aren't always fantastic, but he's within walking distance of campus, so you'll at least be able to get the car fixed before he has to take it home."_

"Wow. Thanks Marcy. Where is it?"

"_I'll text you the address. Just give the address to the tow guy, and have your friend drive you there. I'll meet you in front of the garage." _

"Cool. See you there." Bonnie hung up, surprised again at her friend's capacity to help people. As she looked up from her phone screen, she saw they were nearing Jake's car. It was a slightly older black SUV. The group climbed into the car, with Rainy and Jake in front. As Bonnie leaned forward to tap Jake on the shoulder, she noticed a small, rainbow-colored unicorn charm dangling from the rear view mirror. _Rainy's doing, no doubt._ "Hey Jake, Marcy said there's a mechanic in town that's close to campus. She's going to text us the address and meet us there."

"Oh, really? Huh. That was nice." Jake turned the engine over and put the car in reverse. _He says that like he's surprised. Whatever._

It was a quiet drive, not much was said. Jake played his iPod through the radio with a cassette adapter. Bonnie texted idly with Marcy. Finally, just about twenty minutes later, they spotted a white sedan that had a tow truck pulled up in front of it. Two kids were standing outside talking to the tow operator. Jake pulled over to the side of the road, and the group got out into the chilled air.

"Yo, Finn!" Jake called to his brother. The younger boy in the white bear-eared hat spun around with a broad grin on his face.

"Hey bro! Thanks for coming out to back me up." Finn tapped the girl beside him on the shoulder and went to give his brother a hug. Finn is 17 years old, and Jake's adopted brother. Apart from both being blonde, the two really didn't look much alike. Not that it mattered about Finn's hair anyway—he was always wearing his signature hat. Today he was wearing what everyone knew to be his favorite color: blue. He was always wearing blue, much the same as Bonnie would always wear pink.

"No problem, bro. I brought the rest of the group too. They wanted to see you." Jake gestured to the two girls standing over by the car. "_And_ they wanted to meet your lady friend." At this Finn received a nudge and a wink from his older brother.

"Oh, yeah. Where are my manners?" Finn motioned for his companion to come closer so that the group could interact. "Hey Rainy, PB. Everyone, this is Amber."

"Hi everyone. It's great to finally meet you all. Finn talks about you guys all the time." Amber was about Finn's height, with marvelously fiery hair, and nicely tanned skin that despite the coming winter still looked kissed by the sun. She was wearing a red dress with some stockings.

"I don't mean to interrupt your pleasantries kids, but I don't have all day for this!" The tow truck driver was clearly becoming impatient as he hooked Finn's car to his winch.

"Oh, sorry about that. What are we gonna do with the car, Jake?" Finn turned to his brother.

"I had a friend of mine set it up, actually." Bonnie chimed in, whipping out her smartphone and walking over to the tow driver. She showed him the address Marceline had texted her. "Bring the car to this address, please." The drive nodded and started the winch.

"We're ready to go, Princess. Hop back in the car," called Jake. Bonnie opened the door and strapped in next to Finn, who was busy whispering in Amber's ear. She was laughing quietly and playfully poking him in the chest. "So, should we get going?"

"Actually, Amber and I thought we could get something to eat quick. There's a place in the town off that exit that still serves their original recipe root beer floats. What do you think, Jake?"

"I'm in, bro." With a fist bump, Jake pulled back onto the freeway. Not too long later, everyone in the car was munching on fast food and drinking some of the best root beer floats they had ever tasted. Bonnie didn't get a full meal, just a float and some cheese curds (a guilty pleasure of hers). She decided she should get Marceline something too, so she just got her the same thing. _I hope she likes them._

There was idle chatter between all the people in the car, catching up and getting to know Amber. Of course she and Finn were occasionally too wrapped up in each other to be bothered. Bonnie looked at the two of them, so clearly in what the felt to be love. _Teenagers. I kinda miss those days. Then again, I can't say I clearly remember what any of it felt like—especially dating at that age. After all, I've been single since I was 15. But I do remember that warmth from being with someone you like. I hope it works out for them. They're so cute together. _As she thought this, Bonnibel felt some kind of tug at the back of her mind, but she didn't really pay any attention to it.

* * *

As they finally neared the mechanic's garage, Bonnie got butterflies in her stomach. She was so excited to see Marceline again, and to introduce her to her friends. But as she searched for the vampire, she was nowhere to be found. The car came to a stop and Bonnie got out, carrying her and Marceline's food. She left Jake and Finn to talk to the mechanic themselves while she went to look around in front of the garage.

"Marceline? Marceline! Are you out here? Hey!" Without warning, Bonnie's world went dark. There was something pressed over her eyes, and she felt somebody right behind her.

"Guess who, Bonnibel." Bonnie smiled widely, knowing exactly who had managed to creep up on her.

"Marceline."

"Good guess." Marceline took her hands away from Bonnie's eyes so her friend could turn around and face her.

"Are you hungry? I hope so, because I brought you some food." Bonnie held up the paper bag and the cup with the float in it.

"Really? You did? That was so awesome of you! Thanks, Bonnibel!" Marceline sipped from the straw of the float and Bonnie saw a gleam appear in her pale friend's eyes. "Oh wow! This is _really_ good!" She dug into the bag and ate a cheese curd. "And so is this!"

"I'm so glad you like them, Marceline." Bonnie's chest got warmer, seeing her friend smile over so simple a gesture as fast food. She hugged Marceline and felt an arm drape over her in response. "Are you ready to meet my other friends?"

"Sure, Bonnie. They sound pretty cool. Let's go inside and see how they're doing on the car." Marceline took the lead as they walked inside, and it was only now that Bonnie took note of the leather jacket that Marceline was wearing. _Wow. She looks really good in that. _

The two girls walked into the mechanic's lobby and saw the rest of the crew sitting in some cheap plastic chairs. Marceline didn't waste any time, or wait for Bonnie to start things for her.

"What's up guys? Nice to meet you." She waved politely at the gathered company.

"Everyone, this is Marceline. She's going to be hanging out with us this weekend."

"People call me The Vampire Queen." Marceline put on a creepy tone as she told them her nickname, sharply raising her eyebrows and then lowering them to make herself appear a bit more scary.

"Cool. I'm Finn. This is my girlfriend Amber." Amber lifted her hand and gave a small wave. "That's my brother Jake, and his girlfriend Rainy." Rainy smiled pleasantly, but Jake crossed his arms and looked away. This was followed by a sharp jab to his ribs by Rainy's elbow.

"Awesome. It's good to meet you guys. Bonnie's told me like, a ton about you."

"She's told us much about you as well, Marceline. Thank you for saving Bonnie when we weren't there." Rainy smiled again and gave a deep nod that was reminiscent of bowing, something she had often done when Bonnie had first gotten to know her.

"Yeah, well, I couldn't let a girl like her get hurt like that. Not when I had the power to stop it."

"Wait...what the what now?" Bonnibel held up a hand and shook her head.

"It's a long story, Finn. I'd rather not get into it at the moment."

"I wonder how badly she beat the guy up..." Jake said. Marceline frowned, but decided to take the opportunity she had been given.

"Oh, not too bad." Marceline slowly walked towards Jake. "I didn't have the time. Usually...after I mash em up a bit..." She was now behind Jake, and she leaned over his shoulder next to his ear. "I like to hang my victims upside down, and drink their blood." It was obvious that she wasn't being literal, but Jake shuddered all the same, and Marcy laughed darkly as she returned to Bonnie's side.

"Marceline, that wasn't very nice." Bonnie shot her a small glare.

"So what? I'm a vampire, Bonnie. When people mess with me or with my friends..." Marceline put an arm around Bonnie's shoulders and continued, "...I kick the crud out of them. It's not ideal for my image, but I wouldn't have made it this far if I cared what everyone thought of me." Marcy took a deep breath and let it out, calming back down to her usual, casual self. "But don't worry about it. You guys are cool. Any friend of Bonnie's is a friend of mine." The smile that spread across Marceline's face made it hard to believe she could have been so aggressive a moment ago. And her solemn warning about hurting people she cares about still hung thick in the air between everyone.

"Excuse me folks. But I'm not going to be able to take a look at your car today. I'll call you tomorrow when I figure out what's wrong with it. That alright with you?" _Thank grod for the mechanic, _Bonnie thought.

"Yeah. Whatevs dude. It's cool." Finn waved him off.

"Well, now that that's settled, I suppose we should get going. We could go watch some movies or stuff in the dorm lounge." Rainy suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Finn said. "Amber? What do you think?"

"It sounds fun. Anywhere is fun if I'm with you, Finn." Amber squeezed Finn's hand, and the four older members of the party thought to themselves: _Teenagers._

"What about getting back to campus? We don't have enough room in the SUV for everyone," Jake said with a sideways glance at Marceline.

"That's ok. I brought my motorcycle. Bonnie and I can ride back on that."

"Motorcycle? Me?" Bonnie had never been on a motorcycle before. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't a secret sort of thrill she had one day wanted to try.

"Yeah. Would you like that, Bonnie?" Marceline looked down to her, smiling sweetly and clearly hoping she'd say yes.

"Uhm...*gulp* sure. I'd love to see what that's like." Marceline's smile got broader when she heard Bonnie say that.

"We'll meet you guys there, ok?" Back outside, Bonnie saw Marceline's motorcycle up close. It was a shiny red, and clearly well maintained. As she gazed in wonderment, Marceline grabbed the extra helmet from the back of her bike and gently slid it over Bonnie's head. Donning her own headgear, Marcy sat down and started her bike. She slapped the seat behind her for Bonnie to sit down on. The leather was cold against her, but Marceline was warm. "Put your arms around my waist!" Bonnie held on tightly, and swallowed her nerves as Marceline kicked the stand away and pulled out into the street.

* * *

They arrived at the dorm without incident. Everyone else showed up a bit later, and they lifted a bunch of movies from Bonnibel's shelf. Movie night in the lounge kicked off with an action flick. A romantic comedy later the pizza arrived. They had a dinner break to eat, and then came Bonnie's least favorite genre: Marceline's horror movies. A double feature unfortunately for her. She spent most of the movie clinging to Marcy for support. Finally, the time for bed arrived. Everyone was yawning as the group split in two: Jake, Rainy, Finn and Amber going to Rainy's room for the night, and Marceline going with Bonnie to hers. Preparation for bed was brief, and soon the two girls were alone in Bonnie's room.

"Hey, you're still wearing my shirt." Marceline pointed to Bonnibel's attire.

"Oh. Yeah it's..." Bonnie blushed and played with the hem of the shirt. "It's been really great. Just kinda...makes me feel safe, you know?" It was Marceline's turn to blush this time. "Listen, Marceline? I have a few questions. About high school? Jake said...some things. Are they...are any of them true?"

"That depends on what you heard. What exactly did he say?"

"He said you got into a lot of fights, beat people so bad they went to the hospital. And that you were a real druggie..."

"No, I don't do drugs Bonnie. Never have, never will. The fighting part though...that's true. I never started any of it though. It was always me helping friends, or defending myself." Marceline looked down, appearing somewhat ashamed. "I'm sorry you had to find out though."

"Marceline...it doesn't change my opinion of you." This startled the Vampire Queen, and she turned to look at the princess in pink. "You're a kind and gentle person, Marceline. That's why...that's why I think-"

"Hey Bonnibel. I'm hooomme!" The door swung open, and who should be standing on the other side but a drunk-out-of-her-mind Selina. "Oohhh. Got a friend stayin' the night? Sorry but I think I may—urp-have had too much tonight. I'm gonna need my bed, so she's going to have to sleep with you or on the floor." Selina crawled up into bed and said nothing more besides "G'night."

"I guess I'm spending the night on the floor tonight. Do you have some extra pillows, Bonnie?"

"The floor? Don't be ridiculous Marceline—I haven't had a chance to vacuum this week, and the floor is much to hard. You'll have back problems. You're sleeping with me tonight." Marceline turned beet red and began to stutter out some kind of rebuttal but Bonnie was having none of it. "That's final, Marcy. Now get up there and I'll turn out the lights." Marceline was so dazed and confused that she didn't protest as Bonnie coaxed her up the side of the bed frame. The lights went out and Bonnie slipped into bed beside a still shocked vampire.

"Uh...uhm...G-goodnight Bonnie."

"Mmmm...goodnight, Marcy." Bonnie closed her eyes and was asleep only a few minutes later. Marceline however lay awake thinking. _Here I am, in bed, with the girl I'm crushing on asleep right next to me. I can't believe she invited me into her bed. Then again, I haven't told her yet that I'm bisexual. But...could this mean she likes me too? Ugh, no Marceline. Don't jump to conclusions. Don't freak out. And definitely keep your hands to yourse—_Marceline's thought process was cut short as Bonnie rolled over in her sleep, face a mere two inches from hers. _Oh glob, oh glob, oh glob! _Marceline was starting to panic when her thoughts utterly derailed. Suddenly she was operating on pure instinct. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, planting the lightest of kisses on Bonnie's forehead. She wrapped her arms around the girl, and let herself approach the realm of sleep. Before she drifted off, she thought some more. _You must have lost it, Marceline. _She kissed Bonnie's head once more, and left her resistance behind. _Goodnight Bonnibel..._

**Those roommates...always coming home at pesky hours at making life difficult. What's going to happen when morning comes? Sorry this chapter was so long, but I couldn't see splitting this chapter apart. At least, not in the first draft. It seemed like it would just make it read too differently. If you all feel differently, and maybe want me to divide it in half and possibly add more to each half, I can see myself doing that at some point. But I also think continuing the story is in order. Oh, and, I apologize in advance if this chapter isn't as closely proofread as the others—it's 3:30 AM and I really wanted to update for you guys. Reviews if you please! Thank you!**


	8. Saturday Afternoon Fever

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.] **

**Saturday morning is coming, and it's time for another day of bonding with Bonnie and her friends. Things went alright yesterday, and Marceline was able to keep herself pretty well in control. At least, until Selina showed up. Also, I would just like to say for the sake of some giggles that I am writing this chapter while I enjoy Mtn. Dew Code RED and strawberry Twizzlers. Kinda wish I had a vampire in _my_ dorm room to help me eat the rest of this. :p Alright, let's see what's going on in Bonnie's dorm room, shall we?**

Marceline was slowly dragged out of sleep by the sound of a television show. Not just any television show either—she recognized the intro song. In fact, she recognized the voice that was quietly singing along as well. She smirked to herself, deciding not to interrupt what was clearly a special moment and a rare treat.

"_-we will find a waaaayy! Oh, oh! We've come so far. We've fought so hard to get where we aaaarree. Oh, oh! We belong together. It's always you and meeeeee..."_

As the main character from the show voiced the episode title, Marceline discreetly slid out of the covers and down the side of the bed. She obviously wasn't sneaky enough though, because Bonnie was staring at her and blushing a very deep red.

"Heh. I thought I was the musical one, Bonnie. I didn't know you liked Saturday morning cartoons though." Bonnie looked back to the screen, making a concerted effort to not seem embarrassed.

"...I don't care if it makes me seem childish. I've watched them for so long, they're just kind of a part of me. Besides, this series has been running since I was little. I have a serious emotional connection to it." Marceline shook her head and plopped herself down next to the pink-haired girl who was trying so very hard to defend herself when it wasn't at all necessary.

"I know what you mean. I get up every Saturday to watch it too. I watch most of the cartoons they play on this network." Bonnie turned to the vampire in surprise. She couldn't have imagined that someone like Marceline liked Saturday morning cartoons. "I mean, it's like, a tradition for me. I almost never miss it."

"Really? You do?" Marceline grinned, but said nothing. Instead, she stood up again and snagged a blanket from the bed. She draped it over the both of them. The two of them sat and watched the show in relative silence, broken by one or the other of them letting out a small "squee-like" noise when they spotted particularly cute creatures on screen. The other disturbance was Selina snoring _heavily_ in the bed behind them. When the show ended, Marcy gave Bonnie a playful nudge with her shoulder.

"You know, I thought I was the only college student who got up at 7:30 AM to watch this show."

"I really love it. Games, plushies...I've collected a lot over the years." Bonnie smiled, remembering good times she had as a result of her hobby. But then she sighed, knowing she couldn't put off important matters for much longer. "Marceline...we need to talk."

"About what, Bonnibel? Anything you need to talk about, I'm here for you."

"We need to talk about last night." _Last night? What about last night? _Marceline thought for a moment, running through said night's events. When her memory reached the point of bedtime, she remembered what happened after the lights went out. And when that happened, her stomach dropped out. _Oh glob! _

"Bonnie...I...I uh..."

"When I woke up the morning, you had your arms around me. You were holding me very close. It...it wasn't the way someone holds a friend."

"Listen Bonnie, I'm _so _sorry! I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It...it just happened, and I..."

"Marceline..." Bonnie took her friend's slender, pale hand in hers. "Are...are you...a lesbian?"

"I..." Marceline sighed. "I'm bisexual, Bonnie. I should have told you earlier, and I'm sorry. It wasn't like I meant to hide it from you. It just never came up. I...I hope you don't regret our friendship, or letting me share your bed for a night."

"Oh, no! Not at all, Marceline—I could never regret meeting you. And this morning...it was nice. I actually wasn't all that uncomfortable. I was just surprised, that's all." Marceline looked her friend in the face, her guts still tangled up inside her. "Please don't be too upset. I'm not, and I don't want to ruin your weekend. Will you still stay and have fun with us today?" Marcy nodded, unable to believe her good fortune at making such a tolerant and compassionate friend.

"Do you uh...still want to watch cartoons?"

"Sure." The girls remained huddled under the blanket watching their shows while Selina continued to saw logs above them. _Well Bonnie, you just lost your opportunity to talk to her about your feelings. Why didn't you just say something? It's not like you can bring it up now that the conversation is over. But maybe you still haven't decided how you feel...that must be it._ About halfway into their third show of the morning, there was a knock on their door. Marceline got up to answer it since she was closer. Opening the door, she found Finn and Amber on the other side.

"Oh hey guys. What's up? Isn't it a bit early for house calls?"

"Sorry Marcy. Hey PB. Can we come in?" Finn looked like there was something he needed to talk about.

"Sure. Come on in." The two younger kids sat down very cozily together in Bonnie's larger chair. Finn held Amber very close on his lap.

"Finn and I have...a bit of a problem." Amber said.

"Rainy's Room Adviser knocked on the door this morning. Jake and Rainy were asleep still, so we answered the door instead. The girl said she was looking for Larissa Serena Pratchet, Rainy's roommate. We said that Rainy might know where she was, but that she was asleep. The RA seemed ok with that, but then she asked who we were. I told him I was Jake's brother and that Amber and I had stayed the night." Finn let out a big sigh, then continued. "She wasn't happy. She said that Rainy didn't submit some kind of request form to have overnight company. After I told her that our car was busted, she said we need to find someplace else to stay tonight, or she was gonna get Rainy in trouble with the school."

"Wow. _Someone's_ a little uptight. Seriously, what a butt." Marceline rolled her eyes as she pointed out the obvious.

"I don't know what we're gonna do, guys. Amber and I can't go home without the car." Marceline looked thoughtful, but Bonnie was the one who spoke up.

"What did Jake say about it?"

"He and Rainy are still sleeping." Amber explained as she gave a dismissive wave. "We didn't want to wake them until we found a solution."

"Well _I've_ got a solution," Marceline said. "You can stay at my place. In fact, everyone can stay at my house tonight."

"Thanks Marcy—that'd be awesome."

"Why don't we get it all set up right now? You guys can go get your stuff and tell Jake and Rainy to pack. We'll play some games, watch some movies, chill...it'll be fun."

"Sweet. We'll go get ready. We'll see you guys in like half an hour, ok?" Finn took Amber by the hand and led her out of the room. Bonnie looked at her vampire friend, again surprised at her willingness to help others at the drop of a hat. Marceline looked back at her, smiling.

"Best get ready Bonnibel. And pack your pajamas. You're spending the night in a vampire's lair."

* * *

Marceline and Bonnie had just finished packing, and were putting on their chilly weather garments. Bonnie's coat was tastefully feminine and slimming, while Marceline's was dark and somewhat baggy. Bonnie's hat, scarf, and gloves were all a matching cotton candy pink. Marceline's hat was black and her scarf stood out in red plaid. The other four members of their adventure crew knocked on the door, and off they went into the cold. Everyone agreed they wanted to go out someplace before they went to Marcy's, so they all tossed their bags in Jake's SUV and walked to the nearest coffee shop.

The coffee shop was a warm place, but distinctly designed for college students as opposed to the general populace. Jake ordered a medium roast coffee with a caramel flavor shot, then proceeded to drown it in creamer. Rainy got a very light coffee and put in almost as much creamer as Jake did, adding sugar into the mix. Finn wasn't much of a coffee drinker, so he got himself hot chocolate with mint. Amber ordered a cider that was spiced with cinnamon. Bonnie chose to get a white hot chocolate with two shots of raspberry flavor. Marceline, not to be outdone, wanted a dark hot chocolate with a _triple_ shot of raspberry. Bonnie knew that Marcy had just one-upped her on purpose, and shot her a glance somewhere between irritation and amusement. All Marcy did in response was stick her tongue out and wear her trademark smirk. _She's so ridiculous sometimes, _Bonnie thought. _But it's so cute. _

The group walked down the sidewalk, Bonnie and Marceline both stealing glances at the other when they thought no one was watching. It was by no means awkward, but both seemed to be somehow aware that the other was looking at them. Making their way to the parking lot, Bonnie realized she was going to be on the motorcycle with Marceline again. She was still nervous, but this time she also looked forward to it. She enjoyed the ride immensely. It wasn't all that long of a ride though. Not ten minutes after they left campus, Marceline pulled up to a small, single-level home that looked like it had seen better days. Jake's SUV pulled up behind them, and the party unloaded their bags. Marceline stuck her key in the door, opening it wide to let her friends in.

"Welcome to my lair, everyone. Only one bedroom, so put your stuff in the living room." As Bonnibel walked into the house, she saw the way it was designed. Mostly simple, white walls with occasional rock band posters. A medium density carpet in a sort of beige color met in an awkward way with well-worn red furniture. The kitchen was linoleum, and most definitely dated based on the appliances. Other than a rather nice TV, the place was pretty simplistic. One could almost say sparse. Bonnie's observations were interrupted by Finn's attempt to sit on the couch with Amber. "Wait. Fair warning: that couch is like, _super _uncomfortable. It's hard as a rock, so I never sit on it." Finn looked at Marcy for a moment, then moved over to one of her matching armchairs. The two teenagers sat together and cuddled. Apparently the chairs had a more reasonable level of comfort about them.

"This is a nice place. Thank you for inviting us, Marceline." Amber made sure Marcy knew they appreciated the hospitality. Marcy waived it off, glad to help. The first thing on everyone's mind was entertainment, and the first thing Jake latched onto was Marceline's collection of video game systems. They were older systems, some dating back to the birth of home gaming. They all wasted no time in booting them up and leaping into some serious competitions over retro games.

At about 4 PM, people started to get hungry. Dinner was discussed, and Chinese was the collective decision. They scheduled the order to be prepared and delivered around 6. Shortly thereafter, Marceline issued a bold challenge: she claimed she could beat any and every one of them at a dance game. Finn of course refused to back down, and the group gleefully set up the dance mats. It was obvious that Marceline had the advantage, being the owner of the game, but no one was prepared for her performance. She competed on a higher difficulty level than Finn, and she crushed him all the same. Brutally. Jake was next, then Rainy, followed by a slightly coerced Amber. Marceline ripped them apart, one by one, earning astoundingly high ranks on one of the highest difficulties.

"Marce, you're way to good at this. You got some real skills." Finn was breathing a little heavy, as he had just lost his rematch (which he boldly attempted on the same level as Marceline based on Jake's accusation of the higher difficulties actually being easier).

"Before I came out to college, I used to do this for three hours straight every day. You'd be surprised at how much of a workout this kind of thing can be on the hard songs." That explained a lot. "Anyone up for a rematch?" All of her previous opponents passed, but there was one person in the room who hadn't yet danced. "Bonnie? What about you?"

"Me? Oh, no, I don't think-" Bonnibel's refusal created a simultaneous round of objections from her friends. "Oh...oh, alright then!" Bonnie stepped onto the dance mat, ready to be handed defeat.

"Tell you what, Bonnie: you pick the song. I recommend something with a discernible beat for beginners." Bonnie sifted through the songs, listening to the samples. She settled on something she rather liked. It was a super pop-sounding love song from Japan with a very energetic beat. She hit the start button. "B-Bonnie! Finn went last—it's on the same difficulty as mine. I hope you're ready to dance your butt off!" Bonnie probably would have cursed in her head if the song wasn't starting any second. At the go sign from the announcer, the step arrows began to flow up from the bottom of the screen. She could have chosen to get off. She could have asked Marcy to reset it so she could pick a lower difficulty. But something spurred her forward, and she took the first step.

The battle between the two girls was a sight to behold. Marceline, as predicted, wasn't missing a step. But surprisingly, neither was Bonnibel. She was almost like a savant. The two danced their hearts out, and when the song ended, both were out of breath. Needless to say, the room was stunned. The scores came up on screen, and both had danced a perfect score. Silence hung in the air as the room looked at the girls, and the girls looked at each other. Eventually though, the silence had to break.

"Dude! That was _awesome!"_ Jake stated.

"Fantastic! You did a great job, Bonnie!" Rainy exclaimed.

"That was totally great. Are you sure you haven't done this before?" Amber asked.

"PB! You _rock!_" Finn fist pumped as he shouted. Marceline and Bonnibel were still looking at each other, not saying a word.

"Wow, Bonnie. That was...that was incredible. I can't believe we tied."

"I'm as surprised you are. I probably couldn't do that again in a million years." Another moment of staring at each other was ended by a knock at the door. The delivery guy was early. Without saying anything, Marceline went to the door to get the food. _She was...she was unstoppable. She got onto that mat and danced like she has played this game a gazillion times. Bonnie's just...she blows me away. I couldn't be more astounded. _

Dinner was served in Marceline's kitchen, but was mostly eaten wherever people felt like standing or sitting. Finn and Amber ate their together on the floor in front of Marceline's tiny coffee table, while the others congregated in the kitchen. The conversation was casual and fun, until Jake looked out into the living room and sighed heavily. The girls followed his gaze. Finn and Amber were having a tender moment, and they leaned into a soft kiss that didn't seem to be ending any time soon. Marceline reached out to tap Jake on the shoulder and he turned around.

"Let them go, Jake. Finn's gotta grow up sometime, and he won't be getting this time back. Besides, they're teenagers in love. Let them enjoy that warm glow." Marceline's expression became a softer sort of happy, and she looked at Bonnie, who was still staring at the young couple on the living room floor.

"Yeah...guess you're right." Bonnie smiled at the youngsters. Turning back, she caught Marceline's eyes, and the two didn't look away until Rainy asked where the garbage was. _She was looking at me. She was looking, and when I looked back she didn't look away. Could she have wanted me to see her watching? _

"Hey," Marceline asked of the group at large, "does anyone still want their food? Cause it's been sitting around a little while now. There was a round of negatives and Marceline gathered up the white boxes. She then proceeded to devour the contents of each and every one.

"You were...kinda hungry, huh Marce?" Finn asked the vampire as he looked in wonderment at all the empty containers.

"Yeah, well, kinda happens when you only eat one meal a day."

"You only eat one meal? Is that some sort of diet you're on?" Rainy looked puzzled.

"Nah, it's not that. I just can't afford any more than one a day." Marceline explained, giving a casual shrug. This comment elicited shocked stares from the others in the room. "What?"

"You're only eating once a day? Marceline, that's terrible! Why wouldn't you tell me?" Bonnie glared at her friend.

"Cause. I mean, it's no big deal. Really."

"Doing that really grunks up your system, yo. You should stop." Jake cautioned the vampire, but didn't look too concerned. It was sort of like he thought he had just solved her problem for her.

"Don't you have a job?" Amber looked perplexed.

"Not really. I do whatever comes my way, but that doesn't happen a lot. I have enough money to last the rest of the semester, though."

"Marceline...why wouldn't you ask for help? I mean, you know I would help you if you asked. What about your parents? Can't they help you?" Bonnie put her hand on Marceline's arm, and noticed that the expression on her face had soured.

"No. I'm not asking my dad for anything. And that's the end of that." Marceline crossed her legs and her arms, indicating that the discussion was indeed over.

"Oooo...k...how about we all get some snacks and put on another movie? Maybe spread out out sleep stuff and get comfy?" Rainy wisely decided to speed conversation along, and her suggestion was well received. Blankets, sleeping bags, and pillows were spread all over the living room, and snack foods were produced from hidden pockets. Popcorn was popped, candy opened, hot drinks made, and pajamas changed into.

The movie played, and the party became absorbed in the cinematic magic that is a well-constructed film. Marceline was quietly watching, when she felt something touch her shoulder. She turned to look, and saw that Bonnie (who was still engrossed with the movie) had rested her head on her shoulder. Marceline said nothing, merely enjoying Bonnibel's company until the movie ended. Rainy was the first to rise from her spot cuddling beside Jake.

"Bonnie? Can you help me? I think I left something out in the car." Rainy gestured outside. Bonnie nodded, getting up and following her blonde friend outside. As soon as they were alone by the car, Rainy asked her friend the question she had been holding in her mind all day. "Bonnie...how long have you had feelings for Marceline?"

"What? What makes you say I have feelings for her?" Bonnie played the ignorance card, holding her arm with her other hand.

"It's pretty hard to miss. The way you look at her says it all. Now, are you going to stop pretending?" Bonnie dropped a heavy sigh into the air, knowing full well that she had been caught.

"Alright. It's true. I wouldn't have tried to hide it from you except...it's all so new for me. I've never fallen for a girl before. Granted I've thought plenty of them to be cute, but never have I felt romantic feelings for them. On top of that...I'm just not sure what I want." Bonnie looked at her shoes and kicked the grass.

"Well, what are you going to do about it?" The pink-haired girl looked away, unsure of how to respond. "Bonnie, you should just tell her. I don't think she'll be upset."

"I don't know, Rainy...what if she just wants to be friends? She already told me that she's bisexual, so wouldn't she tell me if she wanted to date me?"

"Maybe. But you should still tell her. It will be good for both of you. Look, I promise she won't be upset. Just trust me." Bonnie didn't say anything, but gave her friend a hug, and then walked back into the house.

"Did Rainy get her stuff?"

"Actually Jake, she thinks it must be in her bag after all."

"That's good." Jake's mouth stretched wide in a huge yawn. "It's pretty late. We should probably all get to bed. After all, I _did_ bring stuff to make a special surprise for breakfast."

"You don't mean the-"

"Finn! You keep your mouth shut, man! And leave it a surprise." Jake whipped around and pointed at his brother. Finn held his hands up in the universal "I Surrender" gesture.

"Alright everyone. Sorry space is so limited, but you can fight it out amongst yourselves for whatever spot you want." Marceline apologized for her small home, then looked at Bonnie. "Except you. I'll sleep on the couch—you can have my bed. Think of it as my way of paying you back for last night." She needn't do into further detail. They both knew what she was referring to.

"Oh...uhm...alright then." Nothing much was said after that. Beds were set up already, so 10 minutes later the house was dark and silent. This time Bonnie was the one lying awake in her friend's bed. She thought back to what Rainy said. She wondered how she was going to bring up the topic. She had no idea how to say it. She had always been the one confessed to, never the one doing the confessing. She was thinking up some convoluted plan to steer the conversation that direction at some point when the door opened.

"Hey. I hope I didn't wake you up, Bonnie. I just needed to get blankets or something. Ugh, that couch is so lumping _hard. _I really should try to replace it..."

"Marceline...could we talk for a minute?" Bonnibel sat up in the bed, covers falling away as the black band t-shirt came into view. _She's still wearing my shirt. _

"Yeah, sure Bonnie." Marceline sat down on her bed next to her pink-haired friend. As Bonnie looked into the vampire's eyes, the eyes that said she genuinely cared about what Bonnie had to say, she started to lose her nerve. But then her moment on the dance mat came back to her. _We danced so perfectly together. If I can do something like that, I can certainly do something like this. Just do it. Just rip it off like a bandage!_

"Marceline...I...I need to tell you something." Marceline swallowed. She could feel the weight of Bonnie's words hitting her ears. Bonnie herself leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "It's not easy for me to say this. It's so private. And we've only known each other for a week." Bonnie leaned closer again, her voice getting even quieter. "It's...not often I find myself at a loss for words. So...I just need...to try...and show you..." Bonnie closed her eyes as she did something she never thought she would have the courage to do: she kissed Marceline full on the lips.

Despite being completely stunned, Marcy didn't resist for a single second. Her pale hand found Bonnie's and their fingers became laced together as Marcy wrapped her arm around her friend's waist and pulled her closer. The kiss ended and Bonnie pulled back just enough to see Marceline's reaction. The Vampire Queen looked at Princess Bubblegum, and for a moment their gazes locked in mutual looks of deep affection. The second kiss was initiated by both girls, becoming entwined in each other and in the covers of Marceline's bed. If it wasn't for the small drops of moisture between their cheeks, the kiss might have gone on a lot longer.

"Marcy? What's wrong?" Bonnie placed her hand gingerly against Marceline's cheek. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No Bonnie, you didn't. I just...I didn't know you felt this way. And I'm so happy I just..." Marceline shook her head. "Look at me being all mushy on you. I'm sorry." Bonnie wiped the vampire's cheek of her tears and kissed it.

"Marcy...would you...stay with me tonight?" The pale girl brought her hand up to where Bonnie still held her cheek and placed it over the other girl's hand.

"Yes Bonnie. I would love to stay with you tonight." The pink-haired girl nodded and rose from the bed to shut out the light. She crawled back into the covers to the vampire who lie in wait. She kissed her once more, and the two embraced each other as they slipped into a fictitious land that never seemed so close to the waking world as it did that night.

**Whew. That was a _long_ chapter. I've been hearing calls for longer chapters like the previous one, but this wasn't what I was expecting. Still, it finally happened! The big kiss! I couldn't bring myself to end this chapter without it happening. I hope it doesn't feel like I crammed too much in here. If I thought earlier about dividing a chapter, I'm most definitely considering cutting this one in half. Please do review, as I love reading your feedback, and it shows you that you care enough to take the time out of your day to show some love to the fanfiction community. Things are getting busy here at my university, so I can't promise to update as frequently, but I do promise I will at least start writing before Sunday the week this is posted. Look forward to next time, everybody! **


	9. First Snow

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**Bonnie and Marcy have finally admitted that they have feelings for each other. They didn't talk a whole lot though. Just kind of happened. Sure, it's romantic. But now comes all the intimate feels and fluff. Yes, I like fluffiness in my love stories. I hope no one signed on hoping for something dark or totally bitter. It won't be all sunshine and rainbows, though—I promise there are some bumps in the road to keep things interesting. In the meantime though, the first thing the girls have to do is figure out what to say when they come out of the bedroom together in the morning.**

The smell of cooking meat and carbohydrate discs floated into Marceline's bedroom, along with the sizzling sound associated with such. The delectable aroma was enough to rouse a sleeping vampire from her sleep. The first thing that greeted her eyes was a pink head resting against her. Last night's kisses drifted through her head and she smiled down at the sleeping girl in her arms. _Bonnie..._Marceline kissed the princess on the head and caused her to stir. She opened her eyes and looked up, seeing for herself that last night wasn't a dream. Her smiled matched that of the pale girl who held her.

"Morning Bonnie."

"Marceline..." Bonnie kissed the other girl on the cheek. She reached out for a hand and Marceline took it, interlacing their fingers. Bonnie's face found its way to Marceline's neck. The older girl pulled her as close as she could, eliciting a sigh of contentment in response. "Something smells good..."

"Yeah, I think Jake is making breakfast or something." Bonnie giggled.

"No, silly. I mean you." She nuzzled herself into the vampire's neck, inhaling the scent she could no longer sleep without. A pale face turned red but didn't look away. _I wish this moment didn't have to end. _

"Bonnie...what are we going to tell the others?" Bonnie shifted, looking up at the ceiling.

"Hm. Well, Rainy knows already. She told me last night out by the car."

"Did she say anything to the rest of them?"

"No, she wouldn't. And as for everyone else, I don't think we need to worry. We just...have to be honest."

"Honesty about my sexuality isn't something I'm used to. Are you sure they're going to be alright with this?" Marceline definitely looked concerned.

"Marcy, I've known these people for years. They're good friends, and they like me for me. I guarantee they'll be fine." Bonnie gave the vampire another kiss on the cheek for support. "Should we go now? I'm sure Jake wants us all to try his breakfast surprise." Marceline hesitated, but nodded and pushed the covers away. She held on tightly to Bonnie's hand, bracing herself, and opening the door.

"Morning PB, Marceline. Good thing you guys made it. Jake's just about done making foods." Finn waved the girls over to where he, Amber, and Rainy were sitting.

"Awesome. What are we having, Jake?" Bonnie asked the chef.

"Finn, you wanna help me out this time?" Jake and his brother erupted into a duet version of a song Bonnibel was familiar with from when they were younger.

"_Bacon pancakes, making bacon pancakes._

_Take some bacon then I put it in a pancake._

_Bacon pancakes, that's what its gonna make._

_Bacon pancaaaaaaake~!" _

Amber giggled cutely, covering her mouth a little with her hand. Rainy clapped a bit, and Finn got up to take a bow. After her applause died down, Rainy shot a glance at Marcy and Bonnie who were not only sitting together, but still holding hands. Her gaze swept up to meet Bonnie's and she received a nod. Rainy's smile said "I told you so."

"Breakfast!" Jake brought food on plates out into the living room. "You don't really have a kitchen table, so..."

"No problem, Jake. It's whatevs. Thanks for making breakfast, by the way." Marcy took her plate from Jake.

"It's cool. Prepare to amazed!" Jake pumped his fist into the air and sat down next to his girlfriend. Breakfast was indeed amazing. Well cooked eggs and masterfully crafted bacon pancakes. _The guy may still be scared of me, _Marceline mused, _but he's a pretty good cook. _As everyone cleared their plates and put them down on the coffee table that looked closer to a wooden footrest, Marcy turned to Bonnie and motioned with her head towards their friends. Bonnie smiled in understanding and prepared herself to make a statement.

"Hey guys? Marcy and I need to talk to you all for a minute." Bonnibel felt Marceline take her hand again, and Bonnibel gave it a comforting squeeze.

"Sure thing, PB. What's up?" Finn was always eager to help.

"Lay it on us, Princess." Jake said, leaning back and putting an arm around Rainy.

"Right, well...Marceline and I had a conversation last night. Sort of. Anyways, we talked and now..." Bonnie wrapped her unoccupied hand over the one Marceline had interlaced with hers. After a deep breath, she said it. "We're going out." The two girls leaned into each other, as if they were bracing for impact. The other people in the room blinked in surprise, each looking at their significant other, and then back to the princess and the vampire.

"Ok."

"I'm sure you're all probably wondering...wait, what?" Bonnie stooped and stared at Finn.

"Ok. You're going out. I said ok." Finn shrugged. "I mean, yeah, it's new. But, if you like each other, you should totally date."

"Yeah, man. Don't sweat it. We don't care if you're bi or whatever. Long as you're happy." Jake gave the two a thumbs up.

"You already know that I'm ok with it, Bonnie. I don't care if you date girls." Rainy's face told her friend she was happy that the two of them were finally honest with each other.

"I just met you, but it doesn't have an impact on what I think of you." Amber held her arms up in a slightly more dramatic version of her boyfriend's gesture. Bonnie and Marcy looked at each other this time. The tension in both of their bodies vanished, and they started to laugh. Bonnie let her head drop onto Marceline's lap as they tried to regain some composure.

"I told you so, silly." The paler of the two felt a finger poke her in the belly.

"Yeah, yeah. Ms. Smartypants was right again. Nyah!" Marcy stuck her tongue out, and the new couple finally stopped laughing. The looked each other in the eyes, sharing a short but romantic gaze.

"Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss." Finn chanted in a low voice. Amber joined in a second later. Bonnie looked at Finn with some amount of irritation, but also amusement.

"Finn, don't be juvenile." Jake and Rainy smirked at each other and soon both of the other couples were chanting.

"_Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"_

"Might as well give them what they want. Right Bonnie?" Marceline winked at her now official girlfriend. They were both blushing, but neither cared. Silent agreement passed between them, as Marcy cradled the pink girl's head and leaned down to press their lips together. Soft warmth radiated from the kiss, and the new couple seemed to glow before the eyes of all present. All too soon it was over, leaving the younger girl reclining in the arms of the older one. Silence filled the room. It was only after Marceline realized that there were dishes to do that she said something. "I should get those clean."

"I'll help you." Bonnie got up, still grasping tight to Marceline's hand as they carried the dishes to the sink. The running water started to heat, and Marcy fished out her sponge, towel, and soap. While the royal couple set up the sink to wash dishes, the two couples remaining in the living room conversed quietly amongst themselves.

"So, what do you all think?" Rainy asked of the other three.

"You know, I would never have guessed PB was bi. It's kinda weird for me to think about. But it looks like they work well together." Finn scratched behind his head, but otherwise looked unperturbed.

"Well, I was wondering the whole time if those two were secretly dating. At least this clears things up." Amber's comment earned her looks from Finn and Jake.

"Yeah, I picked up on it a while ago. I talked to Bonnie about it last night out by the car."

"What? You knew this whole time and didn't say anything?" Jake gave his girlfriend an incredulous stare. "How'd you know?"

"I don't know how you didn't pick up on it, dear."

"Well, sorry. Marcy is pretty cool, but she still scares the filling out of my doughnut." Jake crossed his arms and looked away.

"Are you afraid of vampires, bro?" Finn asked.

"No! I just...don't wanna see my guts dripping outta me any time soon."

"Hahaha! You _are_ afraid of vampires! They aren't even real, man."

"I heard that, Finn!" Marcy called from the kitchen.

"Whatever, man." Jake mumbled under his breath and everyone else laughed.

While Jake was teased over his fear of vampires in the living room, Bonnie and Marcy had just finished the dishes in the kitchen. Bonnie buffed the last dish dry and laid it on the counter to let the air take care of the rest. As her hand went into the dishwater to remove the plug, it brushed against another hand, which embraced hers and raised it from the water. The other hand's thumb massaged her palm, both wet and covered in soap bubbles. The pale hand's owner pulled the opposing body close to her and used her free arm to hold the other girl about the waist. The pinker of the two felt a blush spread over her face as she smiled, allowing the taller girl to lean in an plant an affectionate kiss on her. For this, the taller one was rewarded with a sigh of content enjoyment from her new girlfriend. The kiss went on for a fair time, and when it broke the moment still hung in the air between the two of them. The romance was topped off when the shorter one swished her finger in the suds of the sink and wiped it on the nose of the raven-haired girl in front of her. Giggles ended in a hug, the pink girl resting her head on the chest of the pale one. A final happy sigh, and the two returned to the living room with their friends.

* * *

The group of friends wore away the hours with with idle chatter and jokes. Lunch involved a run to the fast food drive-thru, with the two girls who couldn't fit in the seats together being stashed in the back like a couple of kids. Marcy and Bonnie discovered that they both liked to dip their fries in their shakes. The car and the living room that was once again their dining space were filled with fun conversation. The telling of stories let everyone get to know each other better. And all throughout the day, Marceline and Bonnibel stuck close to each other. It was almost like they had been a couple for months rather than mere hours.

Eventually, the conversation had to come to a close. Finn and Amber had to get home, having school in the morning. Bonnie informed Finn that her parents had taken care of the car bill, as their two families were close and occasionally helped Finn and Jake with bills since the passing of their father. People's things were packed up around dinner time and they went to pick up the car. Marceline had a last request for the weekend party group though: she asked that they all go out to eat at the restaurant where Bonnie had picked her up the float and cheese curds. It was seconded by all present. They drove in a group to the old-fashioned eatery, indulging in even more fried food. The root beer floats were divine as usual. But as an early winter night fully set in, it was time to say goodbye.

"Well, it was great to meet you Marceline. We totally need to hang out again soon."

"Count on it, Finn." Finn stretched out a hand, but Marceline lifted him up in a bear hug. What could she say? The kid grew on her.

"This was fun. Thanks again for letting Finn and I stay in your house." Amber was a little more formal in her farewell, and Marcy sensed that a hug might be a bit unwelcome. She waved at the two teenaged lovebirds as they left to get home at a reasonable time. Now Jake and Rainy were leaving.

"It's been good getting to know you, Marceline. Please do have lunch with us if you are free—we have a regular time." Rainy initiated the hug instead of the rocker girl, and stepped back to let her boyfriend say his goodbye for the evening.

"Marceline."

"Jake."

"...You're alright, girl." Jake affirmed his statement with a thumbs-up.

"Aw, thanks man." Marcy gave Jake the same treatment as she gave his brother. He kind of froze in surprise rather than hug back. But she put him down, and he smiled a little. _Guess he still needs to get used to me._ The blonde couple walked out and got into their car. Marceline turned to her girlfriend and jingled the motorcycle keys. "Ready to go, Bonnie?" Bonnie nodded, the idea of being on her girlfriend's bike still novel and exciting. Without another word, Bonnie and Marcy returned to Minton. Together.

The two girls on the motorcycle stopped by Marceline's house to grab her things and close the place up. Another short drive later, they were walking up the stairs to Bonnie's fourth floor dorm room. Bonnie put her key in the door.

"I'm going to set out the blankets again like last time, ok? My chair is too small for two people, and that office chair can barely be wedged out from between the desk and the fridge." Bonnie opened the door and saw a train wreck under Selina's bed. "Ugh, she never cleans her side of the room." The blankets were spread over the floor, so the comforter was used for warmth. Bonnie was going to sit down when Marcy got her attention.

"Bonnie, look!" Marceline pointed and her girlfriend came to stand beside her. They looked out the window. Tiny bits of white fell before them, covering the ground much like the blankets covered Bonnie's floor. It was the first snow of the season that actually remained to be seen when it was finished drifting down to earth. Bonnie put an arm around her girlfriend's shoulders and pulled her close, the other resting her head on Bonnie's shoulder. They stood there in that moment, watching the snow fall. "What a perfect night..."

"Let's sit down. It's getting cold by the window." Marcy agreed. They sat down in front of the TV, comforter wrapping around them.

"You know...last time we sat here under this thing, I wanted to cuddle with you this way then, too. Now here we are, actually doing it. It's kind of hard to believe I got so lucky."

"I can't believe it either. But I've never been in a relationship with a girl before." Marceline looked at her, a little surprised.

"Really? Never?"

"Never. I'm not sure what sorts of differences there are, or if there are things I'm supposed to do or not do...it's confusing, and a little scary."

"I guess I can understand that. It was a little scary for me the first time I dated a girl. But I don't want you to be scared, Bonnie."

"But...what if I screw up? I have so much I have to learn..." Marceline tilted her head, then brought her hand up under Bonnie's chin and lifted her head.

"Bonnie, look at me. I'll be here for you whenever you need me. And it's really not that different from dating anyone else. You'll get comfortable soon, so just give it time." The girl in pink couldn't respond, getting caught up in the reddish-brown eyes she was staring into. Something was warming her from the inside out, and she knew she wanted to kiss Marceline right that very second. _I can. I can kiss her now, can't I? I can kiss her because...because she's my girlfriend. _That was the only reason that Bonnie needed. Closing her eyes and leaning forward, she found another pair of lips meeting hers.

The kiss didn't go on for too long before Marceline felt a tongue sweep hesitantly across her lips, asking politely for entrance. She hadn't been expecting it, but she was happy to allow it. She let Bonnie explore her mouth, their tongues meeting for the first time. The pink girl's arms went around the vampire and the vampire's encircled the other girl's waist. Bonnie's hands began to wander, eventually finding their way up the back of Marceline's shirt. She felt Marcy's skin, so soft, and decided she wanted more. She pulled the shirt up slightly. Marceline took the hint and gladly removed the shirt. She let Bonnie know that hers should follow, and Bonnie understood. They were in their bras, Marceline's black and lacy, Bonnie's plain and purple. Their kiss had only broken for seconds for the stripping of shirts, and as they both felt the heat rising, there was a tug that Marcy was not expecting: a finger on the waist of her jeans. She caught the other girl's wrist and pulled back.

"Did...did I do something wrong? Should I have not gone that far?" Bonnie looked upset, and it was evident that she was very afraid she had made a mistake.

"No, Bonnie. Not really. I just want to talk about it for a second." Bonnie nodded, still not reassured. "When we kiss that way, things can really get hot fast. I really enjoy that sort of thing, but we've only just started dating. I want to keep things slow at first. We shouldn't go to far too quickly." Marceline held Bonnie's hand in both of hers. "I want every experience to be special for you."

"So...where do we go from here?" Marceline hugged the nervous girl, rubbing her back to soothe her.

"Well, how about we just sit here for a while together." She spun Bonnie around, placing the girl in front of her and letting her recline. Her head rested on Marceline's chest and Marcy's arms held her waist. They were still shirtless, and the warmth of skin against skin felt so wonderful to Bonnie. Time wore on. Shows flew by as the two of them sat there soaking up the presence of the other. It was indeed a perfect night.

"It's about bedtime, isn't it Marcy?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Marceline hit POWER on the remote. She rubbed her girlfriend's forearms and let her put the comforter back on the bed. The lights went out, and Marceline climbed up the foot of the bed, sliding up the covers from the bottom. She popped up to find that Bonnie was staring at her. "What is it?"

"I was just thinking...I'm lucky too. There's no one I would rather have met in the bar that night. I'm so very lucky to have found you."

"Oh Bonnie..." Marceline smiled at the princess, amused and so very happy. Marcy's arms went around her, and Bonnie's went under Marcy's. They pulled each other in, holding tightly and savoring the sensation of skin touching skin. It was such a lovely feeling. Neither wanted to fall asleep for fear of losing the moment to the flow of time. A perfect evening.

**I felt it was important that I finish and post tonight, as here also the first snow to stay on the ground arrived. I would like to thank everyone for their reviews, and I ask that people keep reviewing so that I can get more feedback. Really can't stress how much it makes my day when I get a positive review from you all. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I will get to work on it soon. **


	10. Return to Ooo

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**Last night wasn't really what either of them had been expecting. Bonnie's inexperience and eagerness to please seemed to have gotten the better of her. She needs to chill out a little. Maybe as the holidays approach they'll have more time off to spend with each other. **

The Monday morning alarm was the last thing Bonnie wanted to hear. She stirred in Marceline's arms, cursing her idea to put her alarm in a place where she had to get out of bed to shut it off. As she wondered if she could just stay with her girlfriend a few minutes longer, her phone alarm went off as well. Why she had to be so cautious sometimes she didn't know. And she was regretting it more with each second. Admitting defeat, she sacrificed the warmth of Marcy's body for the silence she hoped would keep the girl asleep.

"You slept through all of that?" Bonnibel shook her head. "Somehow, that's cute to me." Bare feet padding across cold carpet carried Bonnie over to her clothing, where she selected a pink, hooded sweatshirt. Purple jeans accompanied the shirt, and a slightly warmer pair of shoes. _They don't totally match, but it's going to be cold out from now on._ Bonnie went on with her morning rituals, and it was nearing 7:30. She figured she should get Marceline up and out the door with her so that she could lock up. Crawling back up the bed just enough to lean over her, Bonnie gave her lovely girlfriend a kiss on the lips. "Morning, sleepy. Time to get up."

"Bonnie?" Marceline yawned and stretched out in bed. "Bonnibel, it's so early...don't you remember that vampires hate sun?" Marcy half sat up, rubbing an eye with one hand.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I'm going to need to lock up when I go to class." Bonnie had already started to fill her backpack with today's necessary supplies. Marceline was slowly pushing the covers aside, draping her legs over the edge of the bed. The sight of this was so very distracting that Bonnie was unable to restrain herself. She hugged the slender legs of her vampire girlfriend.

"I kinda need to use those, you know..." Marceline looked down at a pink head and cocked an eyebrow in her amusement. "You should probably let go." A mischievous smile touched Bonnibel's lips for a moment. Just for the sake of being a tease, she kissed one of the feet dangling in front of her.

"If you say so." Shrugging as if she was indifferent, Bonnibel allowed her arms to drop away. She nonchalantly zipped her bag and sat down in the office chair next to her desk. Marceline hopped down from the bed. The Vampire Queen proceeded to dress for the day, turning around to look at the princess in the chair. _She would make an interesting office lady. That chair kind of looks like it gives her some authority. But still...I've always had an interesting relationship with "authority." _

"You know, you don't want to play that teasing game. I'll get you back for that." Another shrug from the girl in pink indicated that she was more interested in watching her girlfriend get dressed. Marceline finally finished getting ready just as it was time to go. Jackets were put on and the door was locked. The two went down the stairs and out into the snow. It wasn't even an inch deep, but no one knew how long that would last. "Where's your first class, Bonnie?"

"Over that way." Bonnie pointed between two dorm buildings to the other side of campus. "Science building." Marceline's hand found its way into the pocket where Bonnie had hidden her right hand. She grasped it and laced their fingers together. If it weren't for the cold already turning her cheeks red, Bonnie's face would have visibly blushed.

"Let me walk you there, Bonbon." Bonnie nodded silently as the began to walk. _Bonbon...she called me Bonbon..._The warmth from her face spread to her chest. She smiled at the ground as she walked, thinking. After a moment though, her face took on a look of disappointment. _She already has a pet name for me, but I don't have anything special to call her yet._ The problem of coming up with a pet name for Marceline was in the back of her head all day. From the moment Marcy stole a peck on her cheek before class to the time she left her night class to find her girlfriend waiting for her. As the pair walked back to Bonnie's dorm for the night, her phone notified her of a text.

Jake: Rainy and I are going home for Thanksgiving. Did you want to carpool or maybe drive in a convoy or something?"

Bonnie: Sure. The convoy thing sounds better though. Gotta have my own car just in case.

Jake: Ok then. Is Marceline coming too?

Bonnie: I don't know yet. Haven't asked.

Jake: K then. Talk about deets later. Night.

Bonnie locked her smartphone and jammed it back into her pocket. She glanced sideways at Marceline, strolling beside her with her hands in the pockets of her jacket. Bonnie walked a little closer and locked her arm with her girlfriend's.

"Marcy...what are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I dunno. Homework I guess. Just sitting around my house. Why?"

"Jake and Rainy are going back home to Ooo, and I was going to go too. So I was wondering if...maybe you'd like to come with us?" The pale girl cast her eyes down to the snow-covered sidewalk.

"I don't know Bonnie. I don't go home for the holidays."

"But why not?" Bonnibel tilted her head as she looked at Marcy, hoping to catch the other girl's attention.

"...it's complicated. I'm not sure I'm entirely ready to go back to Ooo. I don't even have a place to stay."

"Marceline...come with me. Stay with me and my family. Please come home with me. Please?"

"Bonnie I..." Marceline looked up into her girlfriend's face. She saw her pleading with her eyes. She couldn't say no. _How could I ever say no to her? _The rocker heaved a very heavy sigh before she continued. "Alright. I'll go."

"Oh thank you, Marceline. Thank you." Bonnie threw her arms around the girl beside her, bringing a small smile to both of them. As they walked back to the dorm alone in the dark, each of them had concerns they were consciously putting aside, preferring to spend time in the here and now. The remainder of the night passed uneventfully, and their sleep wrapped in each other was peaceful.

* * *

Tuesday was the last day that the university was open. The dorms closed at 6 PM, and the school expected everyone to be on their way by that point. Marceline was throwing her bag in the back seat of Bonnie's car, and they were waiting for Jake and Rainy to meet them in the parking lot before they could leave. Marcy slumped down in the front seat, looking forward to the promised pit stop for root beer floats and cheese curds. She whipped out a little handheld game and started to play. She felt the car move and knew that they were on their way. _Two hours. Normally that would be a real pain to wait through. But after these two hours I'll be back in Ooo. It's the first time since I left. I wonder what's going to happen. I've got a bad feeling about this._

"Marcy...are you ok? You haven't said anything for a while now." Pulled from her reverie, Marceline sat up in her chair.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just...hungry, that's all." It was weak, and she knew it. And Bonnie didn't buy it for a second. She decided to push forward.

"Marcy? Why don't you go home for the holidays?" Bonnie asked in a careful tone, eyes on the road.

"Like I said before, it's complicated."

"Would you please explain it to me?"

"...you really want to know?"

"Yes." Marceline sighed. She supposed that it was going to come up sooner or later anyway. She was just hoping that it wouldn't be as soon as now.

"Well, it's because of my father. He and I aren't on the best of terms. We fight about a lot of different things. He's a lawyer, so he loves to argue because he knows he's good at it. The last time we spoke we parted in a really negative way. It's kind of painful for me to talk about." She put her feet on the seat and pulled her knees to her chest.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. My parents and I have a fairly good relationship, so it's hard for me to understand what you're going through."

"He never seems to approve of anything I do. Nothing is ever done right unless it's done his way. His self-righteousness drives me insane."

"If it's about approval, I have some experience not living up to my parents' expectations either. In particular it's my love life they have issues with—they're concerned about how long I've been single."

"Ha! Well at least you've fixed that, right Bon?"

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." And embarrassed expression crept across Bonnibel's face. "You see I haven't...actually...told them yet that I'm attracted to girls." There wasn't much color in Marceline's face to begin with, but whatever was there completely drained away as what Bonnie said sunk in.

"_What?!"_

"It just never came up! I told you I've been single a long time. The last person I dated was a guy, and it was in like 9th grade. I've never had feelings for a girl before, so there was no reason to talk about it." Embarrassment gave way to shame. Bonnie's eyes became a little unfocused, as if she was looking into the past, instead of the windshield. "If I had even thought in my wildest dreams that I would find a woman that I...if I had thought it was going to be an issue, I would have done it a long time ago."

"...I'm sorry for freaking out. I just...I didn't expect this. Plus I've never had to help anyone come out of the closet before." Marceline looked over at Bonnibel, who was still staring into nothing. She stretched out her slender arm and rested her hand on Bonnie's thigh. "Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah...I just have to think about what I'm going to say to them..."

"You're right. What are _we_ going to say?"

"Huh?"

"Bonnie, we're a couple. I'm not going to hang you out to dry by letting you deal with this by yourself." She gave her girlfriend's thigh a comforting squeeze.

"Thank you, Marcy. I really appreciate this."

"You're welcome, Bon. Now exit here—I've been dying for some food!" Bonnibel giggled.

"Ok, ok."

* * *

Conversation was light and easy after the couple had stopped for what was becoming a traditional meal for them. The drive went smoothly, and Marceline ran her game system's battery dry trying to complete a dungeon. The sky was nearly pitch black by the time they arrived in Ooo. Passing old and familiar landmarks made Marcy feel nostalgic and a little sad. Ooo was a town with many, many restaurants and almost as many shops. And Marceline and her friends had been to nearly all of them. _I wonder what they're all doing right now. I bet that they have plenty of things to do, being off on all sorts of other adventures. I miss them. _

The freeway wove through town, and Bonnie exited and turned towards a residence area. Going back the direction they came on a road parallel to the freeway, they reached a neighborhood full of trees. It was the kind of place that one would expect to produce a kid of just above average intelligence who had an idyllic childhood. A place of unintentional conformity. But nonetheless, it was a beautiful place to live. At long last, the car came to rest under a very large tree to the left of a driveway. It wasn't a large home, but it did seem...well, homey. Marceline looked at Bonnie, and Bonnie looked at Marceline. Hoisting their bags, the girls locked the car and approached the front door.

"Ready Marcy?" The vampire nodded her head. _I guess that counts as being invited inside. I wonder if Bonnie's parents have any idea what's walking through their door with their daughter. _Bonnie keyed a code into the electronic lock. Marcy took a deep breath, and walked inside.

"Is that my daughter I hear walking through that door?" From the front door Marceline could see the kitchen and dining area. There was a wall between separating the two door-less frames that had a counter on the kitchen side of it. Standing in front of the stove was a woman just shorter than Bonnibel, with brownish-blonde hair. Dressed in a solid color blouse and a loose pair of jeans with her slippers on, Mrs. Buchman was stirring a large pot.

"Hi Mom. What are you making?" Marceline's observations continued as she looked to the small, round table on the left side of the kitchen near the sliding door that led to the backyard. In a chair, hunched over a laptop, was the man she presumed to be Mr. Buchman. His hair was almost entirely gray, with a few remaining black ones hanging about. It was kept short, business-like, though the man didn't seem the type for the business world. His glasses reflected the light of his screen, so his eyes weren't visible.

"Chili." Mrs. Buchman turned to the door to greet her daughter. "I hope you're hungry because there's a lot...there...to eat..." Her steps slowed with her voice as she took note of the tall, pale girl standing in the doorway. "Well, hello. Bonnie, you didn't tell me we'd be having a guest."

"Sorry Mom. This is Marceline. I told her she could stay the break with us. Is that alright?" Marceline waved in salutation at the mention of her name. _Bonnie didn't even ask first?_

"That's fine...she'll be sleeping in your room, then?" Bonnibel nodded. "You really should have asked me first, Bonnibel. She can stay, but I don't appreciate you assuming that I would extend hospitality just because you felt like it."

"I'm sorry, really. She doesn't have anyone to spend the holiday with, and she was just going to sit at home alone. I couldn't let her be alone on Thanksgiving." Bonnie looked down, ashamed of the situation she had put Marceline in.

"Well, I'm glad we can help her, but that doesn't change the fact that you should have asked permission. Don't take advantage of my kindness in the future."

"Yes ma'am." _So Bonnie's still under her parents' influence to that degree, huh? This ought to be interesting._ Marceline noticed that Mr. Buchman was now watching the scene as well. She waved at him in a friendly manner, and he returned the gesture with a smile before resuming whatever he was doing on the computer.

"You girls go get settled into Bonnibel's old room. Dinner will be ready in about 15 minutes." Looking over her daughter's shoulder, she held up a hand. "It was nice to meet you, Marceline."

"Nice to meet you too." Both girls tried not to visibly hurry up the stairs to Bonnie's double French doors as they were keenly aware that they had just escaped a very tense situation. They tossed their bags on the ground and embraced the chance to speak freely. "Seriously? You didn't ask first?"

"I was pretty sure she wasn't going to send you away. She doesn't know you're from here and she wouldn't force you to go all the back to school. Plus, if you weren't here...if you weren't here I don't know if I would have the guts to tell them about us." Bonnie was wearing the same expression of shame that had been painted on her face since her mother's scolding. _I already kind of guessed that. Seeing the way she interacts with her mom and all. But I shouldn't let her stay down in the dumps over it. _Marcy took the princess's wrist and pulled her into a hug. She swayed the two of them slightly as she did her best to comfort the girl.

"It's ok, Bonnie. I'm sure everything will work out just fine. Let's sit on the bed for a while and take a breather. We'll have dinner and worry about the rest later." Bonnie nodded her agreement and let her weight fall against her girlfriend. _Marceline says everything will be fine. I trust her._

Mrs. Buchman called them to the table not long after. They sat next to each other, Bonnie across from her mother and Marcy across from Mr. Buchman. The table was silent as the family started eating, and Marceline wasn't sure if it was an awkward silence or if they just wanted to eat. She picked up her spoon and tried the chili. It was actually very good, albeit a little too spicy. After a few more bites she noticed her nose was starting to run—a definite sign of exposure to spice. Killing the spice in her mouth with the glass of milk she had received, Marcy decided it was time to say something.

"Thank you for inviting me in and letting me have dinner with you guys. This chili is really good."

"You're welcome Marceline. It's actually good to know that Bonnie has made friends outside the group of her old high school friends that go to school with her."

"Yes, we know that Bonnie can be a creature of habit." Those were the first words that Mr. Buchman had spoken since Marceline walked in. He had a friendly demeanor, despite being so quiet. "Getting her out of her comfort zone is something we've tried to do for a long time."

"Well, her friends are kinda responsible for how we met. They set her up to go to a singles night at a bar, and I was helping with the music set that night. It really wasn't me that did any of the pushing."

"A bar? Bonnie doesn't usually like bars. Something change, Bonnie?" Mr. Buchman raised an eyebrow at his daughter, who was starting to feel a tad bit on edge.

"Not really. Like Marceline said, it was a set-up."

"When did this happen?" Mrs. Buchman asked.

"About three weeks ago, Mom."

"Really? You two are awfully close for only knowing each other three weeks. You normally don't invite someone home so soon, Bonnie." Mrs. Buchman looked very curious.

"Well, you could say we had a unique bonding experience." Bonnie froze and Marceline knew as soon as it left her mouth that she shouldn't have said it.

"Oh? And what might that have been?" Mr. Buchman appeared just as curious. Both parents were probing for answers. And both girls knew where this line of questioning was headed.

"It really isn't a polite story to tell over dinner, _is it_ Marceline?" Evidently, Bonnie was feeling the pressure even more than the vampire girl.

"We don't mind. What was so unique that made you two so close so fast?" Mrs. Buchman didn't sound like she was going to give up anytime soon. The princess and the vampire exchanged a nervous glance. No use trying to stop it now.

"Well, there was this guy in the bar that night. He was really into me but he was kind of full of himself. Anyways, some things happened that I should have seen coming and...well..."

"Long story short, Bonnie was drugged." _That's _one_ way to do it, huh Marcy? Right to the point. _

"_Drugged?!"_ Mrs. Buchman's mouth hung open while her husband demanded details.

"How did it happen? What did he do to you?"

"It's fine! He put it in my drink while my back was turned, but nothing happened!" Bonnibel put a hand on Marceline's arm. "Marcy...Marcy saved me." Both parents looked confused, deceived like most people by how slender Marceline was. "She was so brave! She was waiting to walk home with me, but when she saw what happened she ran right over, and punched that guy right in the face!" "Bonnie underscored this last bit with a dramatic right hook. "She walked me home, but the drugs made it almost impossible for me to stay up. So she picked me up and carried me back to my room. She even stayed the night to make sure I was ok. She...she took such good care of me, even though we didn't know each other that well. She's the kindest person I've ever met." The table was silent again as Bonnie concluded her story. Once again, the Buchmans were staring at Marceline, who in turn was blushing and rubbing the back of her neck.

"It sounds like you had quite an adventurous time that evening, Bonnie." Mr. Buchman folded his hands in front of him. "Thank you for protecting our daughter, Marceline. This story is reminiscent of a knight in shining armor saving an innocent princess, wouldn't you say?"

"N-no, it wasn't anything as grand as all that. It was nothing, really." Marceline was becoming more and more uncomfortable by the moment, hoping her girlfriend would save her this time.

"Nonsense. It was heroic, what you did for her. And for such a noble act, I believe thanks are in order—certainly more than a short stay in our home." _Is he serious about this? _Marceline wondered where Mrs. Buchman had dug up a guy who sounded so much like royalty of the Dark Ages.

"Absolutely, dear. She deserves something nice." Husband and wife joined hands.

"So Marceline...what is it that we can do for you?"

"Really, you guys don't need to do this. I wouldn't even know what to ask for." That was a lie of course, since she could feel a request nag at the back of her mind but suppressed it.

"Alright then. Should you change your mind however, you need only ask." Mr. Buchman bowed his head in respect and returned to his meal. Taking this as a cue, the others finished their food. Seconds were had, thirds for some. There wasn't much talking while people were eating, and when dishes were taken care of, a movie was suggested. The family sat down on the couch in the living room, and Bonnie shivered. Being the sly vampire she was, Marceline feigned chill as well as an excuse to fetch a blanket from Bonnie's room. She picked it up off the bed and inhaled. It smelt similar, but not quite like the scent she knew. She sat down just a little too close to Bonnie for a girl who was just a friend, and threw the large blanket over the both of them. As soon as they were under the pink, fluffy shield, Marceline laced their fingers together. They exchanged hand squeezes and played some innocent footsie throughout the whole movie. Some of the thrill came from the fact that Bonnie's parents were around.

"Your father and I are going to bed, Bonnie. You two girls have fun, but don't stay up too late. It was nice to meet you, Marceline."

"It was nice to meet you both. Thank you for letting me spend the break here."

"Sleep well Mom and Dad. I'll see you in the morning." Bonnie and Marcy watched the two walk down the basement stairs and shut the door behind them. No sooner had the stairwell light gone off than Bonnie felt a warm breath against her ear saying,

"They're not the _first_ ones you'll see in the morning, Bonnibel." The pink-haired girl felt her face get hot. She gave her girlfriend a rough shove.

"You can be so distasteful sometimes, you know that?" She tried to be mad, but it wasn't in her and Marceline knew it. She leaned in close again, less than an inch from a now burning hot face.

"And you love it." _Oh, who am I kidding? I do love it. It makes me want to kiss those sweet lips so badly! _And_ s_o she did. Still concealed by the blanket, Bonnie slipped a hand behind Marceline's hip and held her firmly to her body. Marcy's hand felt its way up the side of Bonnie's body to hold and caress her cheek. The kiss broke and Bonnie let her head rest against Marceline's soft touch. A second kiss naturally followed a few seconds later. Feeling her girlfriend against her made Bonnie realize how much she missed being able to openly express her affections. Another kiss ended, leaving the girls' faces closer than before they started. They stared into each others' eyes, knowing full well that it was something out of a cheesy romance movie. Bonnie began to whisper.

"I'm so glad you came, Marcy. If only I could-" The basement door opened without warning and both girls snapped to attention, coming apart and looking back to the television.

"Bonnie, honey, could you turn down the TV? Your dad and I are trying to sleep."

"S-sure, Mom. No problem." The door closed again behind Mrs. Buchman. The couple on the couch continued to look straight ahead, recovering from the near heart attack that had just occurred.

"Marcy?"

"Yes, Bonnie?"

"I think we should move up to my room."

"I agree. Let's move." Not another word was exchanged while preparations for bedtime were made. After all was said and done, the two of them were lying together in Bonnie's old bed, staring up at the ceiling. Having had enough of the silence, Marceline rolled to her side.

"Bonnie, thank you for bringing me with you. It's good to be back in Ooo. But...when are we going to tell your parents about us?"

"...I don't know yet, Marcy. I'm still trying to think of what I want to say, and how I want to say it."

"Well, you shouldn't make a huge deal about it. I mean, it _shouldn't_ be a big deal, right? You're still the same person."

"I'm not sure if they'll see it that way." Bonnibel sighed. "But I suppose I'm not getting around it. We'll tell them soon. Just...please be a little patient with me, ok? I'm nervous."

"I don't blame you for being nervous." Marceline reached out to move a strand of hair out of Bonnie's face. She caressed a the girl's cheek with her thumb and held her close. "I'll be here for you the whole time, Bonbon. Don't be scared."

"Oh Marcy..." Bonnie rested her forehead against the vampire's, comforted by the arms of her girlfriend. Even though she feared that a storm might be brewing in her quiet, suburban home, in that moment she felt nothing but safe and protected by the girl she adored more than anyone else on earth. They fell asleep there, clinging to each other, wanting to see nothing and no one else first the next morning.

**So, return of the long chapter! And just in time before I have to drive a miserable distance to reach the comfort of my own hometown for Thanksgiving. I can't promise a second chapter this week, and possibly not even next week depending on schoolwork. We'll see. But I know I won't be able to post another before the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and _please_ don't get yourselves hurt on Black Friday. I like it when you read my work, but I don't want it to be because you're laid up with broken bones and have nothing better to do. Also, if you'd like to show your thanks, you can post a review! ^^ Enjoy yourselves everybody, and again, Happy Thanksgiving. **


	11. The Man Holding the Umbrella

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**Well, some criticism has finally hit the review board. Little did I know that negative opinions would be following from other sources. It hit a lot harder than I thought it would. The constructive criticisms from the reviews were much appreciated, but the rest didn't feel so good. After rereading my work a few times, I have come to a decision. Since this has grown faster than I thought it would into something that belongs to the Bubbline community and not just to myself, I wish to call a vote. I'm thinking either A) I continue writing until the story ends and then take my time rewriting it from the start, or B) scrap the whole fic now and start over. If you care at all about this fic, please PM me with your opinion. While I wait for sufficient feedback in my mailbox, I will continue to post when I feel like I can write a chapter. Now, without further ado, the couple you all came to see.**

Wednesday went on without Bonnibel and Marceline doing much of anything. Bonnibel's parents were out most of the day, and the girls stayed in and did virtually nothing. It was a pleasant reprieve from the busy lives they led at school between classes and homework (to say nothing of salvaging a social life). Thursday, the actual day of Thanksgiving, was not so uneventful. Marceline asked Bonnibel to drive her out to a certain address in Ooo. Bonnie didn't mind at all, but as they pulled into the parking lot, she couldn't help but ask herself: _Why does Marceline need to come here? _

It was a retirement home. The name Snowy Peaks was lettered in white against a sign that must once have been royal blue. Bonnibel looked over at her girlfriend with a question on her face, but Marceline wasn't paying attention. She was unstrapping and opening the door. She stopped before she shut it to look a a certain pinkish face. She smirked.

"Do you want to come with? I don't know if you've ever been in a place like this, but some people find kinda upsetting."

"Upsetting?"

"Yeah. Sometimes they really freak out. It's kinda funny, I guess."

"Well, I don't think you have to worry about that with me. Do you mind if I ask why we're here though?"

"You'll see." Marceline stuck out her tongue and shut the door. Bonnibel got out of her side and locked the car behind her. They walked inside to the reception desk and Marceline leaned over the counter to address the woman at the computer. "Marceline here to see Mr. Petrikov."

"Fifth floor, room 8. Go on up." The woman didn't even look up from her screen. Bonnibel followed her raven-haired girlfriend up the stairs and down the hall. Everywhere they went they passed elderly men and women, some ambulatory, some sitting in wheelchairs. When the two arrived at the door of 508, Marcy held up a finger in a hushing gesture. The door opened without a sound, and Bonnie saw a man with white hair and a great white beard asleep inside. _So this is the Mr. Petrikov Marcy came out here to see? He doesn't look quite old enough to be here, even if his hair is that white._ Marceline tiptoed her way to the bed. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and shook him. As he stirred, he turned to look up.

"Boo," Marceline said in a soft tone.

"Hey there, Marceline. How long have you been here?"

"I just got here, actually."

"Groovy." Petrikov sat up in bed. "Can I get a hug?" Marceline leaned over and hugged the elderly man. "And a kiss. Can I get one of those too?" The vampire girl kissed his cheek and he pretended to pout. "Aw, no lips? You're no fun."

"Simon, you're nuts." There was a smile of love and endearment on Marceline's face as she sat down on the foot of Simon's bed. Bonnibel stood in the doorway, watching the two of them chatting away. It was clear that these two knew each other very well. _I feel like if I walk in, I'll disturb them. It's like I'll ruin or break something. _She'd been standing there almost ten minutes when Marcy waved her over. Bonnie took a deep breath and crossed the threshold.

"Hello Simon. I came with Marceline to see you. My name is-"

"Betty? Betty, my princess, is that you?!"

"What? Who's Betty?"

"Oh Betty, I just knew you'd come back!" Marceline grabbed Simon's hand and he turned back to her. "Marcy, look! Betty came back!"

"Get a hold of yourself, Simon! Betty's gone, remember?" Simon's expression faltered.

"That's...not Betty...is it?" Marceline shook her head solemnly. Simon's shoulders sank and his face took on a guilty expression. "I'm sorry Marcy. It looks like I'm just as bad as ever. I see her in almost every woman I meet and sometimes...sometimes I can't tell it isn't real."

"Hey, cheer up now. It's Thanksgiving, remember?" Marceline slid over and put an arm around Simon's shoulders.

"I know. It's just...I'm so sorry that you have to see me like this, Marcy." A massive sigh left Simon's chest. But Marceline smiled and gave him a firm hug.

"It's not your fault, Simon. Besides," Marceline kisses Simon's cheek again. "I still love ya, you crazy old man." Simon's lips were touched by a small smile and he hugged the pale girl sitting on his bed. Bonnibel was still standing awkwardly a small distance away, unsure what to do or say. She had never dealt with an elderly person who was struggling with mental problems. She started to take a step backwards. "Simon, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Bonnibel."

"Hello, Mr. Petrikov. It's very nice to meet you." Bonnie came up to the side of the bed and stretched out a hand. The one that took hers was slightly chilled to the touch.

"Please, call me Simon. It's nice to meet you too, Bonnibel. What brings you to my place?"

"Marceline did, actually. I drove her here. She left her motorcycle at school."

"She did?" Simon glanced back at Marceline. "How did you get home, Marcy?"

"I came home with Bonnie. I'm actually staying with her family for the break." Marcy shot Bonnie a playful face. "I'm glad she convinced me to come home." Simon's eyes narrowed as he looked between the two girls.

"Wait a minute. What's going on here? Are you two an item, Marceline?"

"W-well...yeah. We are."

"Why didn't you tell me I'd be meeting your girlfriend?! I would have at least shaved or something!" Marceline quirked an eyebrow.

"Would you _really_ have shaved?"

"Of course. Maybe. Probably not."

"You really should look into getting rid of that wizard beard, you know." Marceline tugged teasingly on the tip of it.

"Are you kidding? Wizards are awesome! Not that I believe in such things of course. But with this beard I'm a stone cold silver fox! None of the ladies can resist!" Bonnibel shielded her mouth her a hand and giggled behind it.

"Bonnie, why don't you sit down? I think we're gonna be here a while." Marceline pointed to a nearby chair. She sat, the spirit of laughter still etched on her face.

"So Marcy, how's school going?" The conversation lasted a while, at least a solid two hours. It might have gone on until dark had a nurse not knocked on the door.

"Simon, Dr. Sarah says you need to take your medicine a few hours before tonight's meal. I'll be bringing them by in a few minutes."

"All right, thank you nurse." Simon waved politely and sent the nurse away.

"Bonnie and I should probably get going. Her parents are going to start making dinner soon, plus it's like, 3 o'clock. It's gonna be dark soon."

"Yeah, ok. Well, it was great to meet you, Bonnibel."

"It was a treat to meet you as well, Simon Petrikov." Bonnie smiled at the old man, who opened his arms expectantly. She wasn't going to deny the man a hug after getting to know him. "I think I'm going to go start the car and give you two a chance to say your goodbyes. So happy to have met you, Simon." With a final wave, Bonnibel left the room.

"So...?" Marceline shakes Simon at the shoulder.

"So...what?"

"So what do you think, you old nut? Do you like her?"

"I do like her. She's smart, sweet, independent, and _definitely_ polite. For lack of a better word, she's a princess. Not like you at all." That earned him a small smack on the arm. "But seriously, she's not the type I normally see you with. What's changed, Marcy?"

"I don't know. I kinda feel like a teenager again—I've fallen hard, fast. I just...I really, _really_ like her. In fact...I think I might..."

"Slow down there, girlie. I know you like her, but that word can be dangerous. Slow down a bit and take your time. You'll get there if you two are right for each other."

"Since when do you give wise advice? Are you some kind of sage now?"

"No. Just an old man watching a girl he's known for years grow into a young woman." Marceline chuckled and gave Simon one more hug and a kiss. "It really was great to see you, Marcy."

"You too. I love you, you crazy old nut. I'll be back around Christmas time." Marcy walked to the door, turned back to wave, and then was gone. The old man with a wizard-like beard sat alone in his bed, lamenting the loss of company.

"You've really grown up, haven't you Marcy? I remember when you were so much smaller and so innocent. Now look at you. Tall, confident, and dating girls even! Boy, wish I'd seen _that _coming. But you're an adult now. And I'm just a crazy old man. Just old...and crazy..."

The door shut and Bonnibel put the car in drive and pulled out. A short ways down the road, she began to wonder why Marceline hadn't said anything yet. A cautious glance to her right showed that her girlfriend was looking out the window, her face difficult to read.

"So, that was a nice visit. I'm glad you asked me to come in and meet Simon. He's funny."

"Yeah. No problem." Marceline replied in a vaguely flat tone.

"Marcy, are you alright? You don't seem like yourself."

"How so?

"Well, normally you're all 'bloobalooby!' But right now you're kinda plop-dumps and waggle-sags." She tried her best not to, but the ridiculous words coming out of Bonnie's mouth made Marceline crack up. One minor giggle fit later Marcy asked,

"And when did you decide to become the next Dr. Seuss, Bonnibel?"

"Just now actually. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, a little I guess. Thanks Bonnie."

"Aw, no probs. But on another note, do you mind if I ask how you know Simon? Is he your grandfather?"

"In a way I guess. We're not related, but we go like way back, you know? He's always been around to help me. So I suppose he kinda is like a grandpa to me."

"How did you two meet?"

"Hm. Maybe it's time I told you the story. Do you remember when I told you about my bite marks?" Bonnie nodded. "It was a almost a year after that. Dad was late picking me up from school one day, and I mean like _really _late. All my friends had gone home already, and I didn't want to sit inside with the lady at the desk, so I went and sat outside on the bench."

-Flashback-

A sky that had been cloudy all day finally made up its mind. It wanted to rain, and it wanted to rain hard. It came down so fast that it caught a young Marceline by surprise. She felt the water drench her dress and her backpack. She didn't care. The only thing she wanted to do was go home, but her father was almost three hours late, and she was starting to wonder if he was going to show up at all.

"Daddy...where are you?" Marcy asked the pavement, hoping it might have an answer. The only thing it offered was the sound of raindrops smacking it at full force. She was beyond soaked already. Her father was late on a regular basis, but never this late. _Maybe I should just walk home..._

A new sound found Marcy's ears. Small, regular splashing. She paid it no mind. It got closer and closer, until a brown pair of pants and shoes stopped in front of her. She looked up into an olive-colored face that was draped with brown hair and a small pair of circular glasses. The man stood under an umbrella looking down at her in his tweed jacket. Neither of them said a word for a moment or two—they just looked.

"Hi." The man with the umbrella smiled at her and returned her greeting.

"Hello. Nice day, huh?"

"Pfft. Whatever."

"Well, you may not think so. But I like the rain. And what about you, young miss? Why are you sitting out here alone in weather like this?"

"I don't want to sit inside with the desk lady. She's creepy."

"Well you can't stay out here. I don't know if you noticed, but it's wet." Marcy scrunched her face in one of those expressions children have when an adult is right but the child doesn't want to admit it. Instead of pushing the issue however, the man in the tweed jacket sat down on the bench next to her and allowed the umbrella to cover most of the both of them.

"I won't get any more wet, you know." Marcy protested.

"I know. But you could catch a cold if you sit out in the rain too long." Marcy's response to this comment was to shrug. "You sure you don't want to go inside?"

"Yes. I'm going to sit here and wait for my dad. He's supposed to be here soon."

"It's a little late, don't you think?"

"He's _always_ late."

"Oh. I see. Well, I don't have to get home for a while. Do you want me to wait with you? That way you can use my umbrella." Considering the alternatives for a second, Marcy nodded acceptance.

"Yeah, I'd like that, thanks. So uh...what's your name, Mister?"

"My name is Simon Petrikov."

"I'm Marceline."

"Well, it's very nice to meet you, Marceline." A few minutes with nothing to hear but the rain and some cars went by. A cold breeze blew and caused Marcy to shiver. It didn't go unnoticed. "It's a bit chilly outside today."

"Cold doesn't bother me."

"Then what does bother you, Marceline?"

"Waiting."

"Hm. I don't think you'll be waiting much longer. In fact, I bet your dad will be here any minute." No sooner did Simon finish speaking than a black SUV rounded a corner down the street. Marcy saw her father's car approach, and turned to look up at Simon curiously.

"Simon...are you a wizard or something?"

"Ha ha ha ha...no, I'm no wizard. Just an archaeology professor who had a lucky guess." Marceline narrowed her eyes in suspicion.

"If you say so." The black SUV sloshed through a puddle as it pulled up to the curb. Marceline hopped off the bench and spun back around. "Do you think you can come back tomorrow? I want to know how you knew my dad would show up."

"I told you Marcy, it was just a lucky guess." Marcy shook her head.

"You have to come back until I can find out how you do your magic."

"Oh, alright. I'll see what I can do, ok? Who knows? You might need an umbrella again." Marcy giggled and waved her goodbye before she got into the car. Simon returned the gesture as the SUV pulled away and drove off.

"Who was that, Marceline?"

"That's Simon Petrikov. He says he's a professor, but I think he's a wizard! He let me use his umbrella while I was waiting."

"That's nice dear. Next time don't forget your own umbrella." Marcy nodded, making a mental note to _definitely_ forget her umbrella next time it was rainy.

-End Flashback-

"So that was how it started. He sat with me when Dad was late, and eventually he invited us to dinner at his house. We got to be good friends, and he helped me out all the time. Whatever I needed, I knew I could always count on Simon." Marcy still had a far away look in her eyes, probably still flashing back to old times.

"You two have known each other a long time. He doesn't strike me as the kind to be a professor, though."

"Well, about that...he's kinda different now than was then. He started to age faster." Marceline looked out the window. "He's got a form of dementia. It happened earlier than it was supposed to."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that. But he still remembers you." Bonnie looked at her girlfriend, who was still gazing at their surroundings passing them by. "Hey...are you sure you're feeling well? We can stay out a little while longer." The pale girl beside her shifted in her chair.

"No, I'm fine. I just get a little emotional after I visit Simon. No big deal."

"If you say so." Bonnie decided to let it drop and drove the two of them home. Thanksgiving dinner was thoroughly enjoyed by both, and so was late night private time for the girls to let out their suppressed affections. Friday and Saturday crept by, and Bonnibel had still not told her parents that she was dating Marceline. As a cell phone alarm greeted the young couple Sunday morning, they knew that they couldn't put it off any longer. The princess looked at the Vampire Queen in the early morning light.

"Bonnie?"

"Yes, Marcy?"

"Today's the day, isn't it?" Bonnibel drew in a large breath and heaved a sigh into the air.

"Yes. Today is the day I tell my parents."

**Alright then. Between the time I started this chapter and the time I posted it, I was really put through the ringer. I'm surprised that I'm still standing. I really tried to push through this chapter to get it posted, and to start on the next chapter because I know it's going to have some kind of drama. I also have been pretty good about keeping this fic at roughly current with the time of year until Thanksgiving break hit. I'm now playing catch up, but I don't want that to make me write shoddily just for the sake of matching the calendar. **

**Remember, if you didn't read the note at the top, please do. And please send me your vote. I will take your opinions into consideration, but I reserve the right to make the final judgment myself. I look forward to hearing from you all.**


	12. Telling the King and Queen

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**It's time to come clean and tell the parents. I don't know if any of my regular readers have ever been in a "coming out" situation, but I can say from experience that it goes a few different ways. How will Bonnie's parents adapt to the fact that she's dating Marcy? Well, there's only one way to do it—rip it off like a bandage (though some cases feel more like duct tape). Either way, it has to happen at some point.**

"Mom? Dad?" Bonnie looked down the stairs but saw no one. She tried to descend as quietly as possible, Marceline behind her. She turned to enter the kitchen.

"Oh. You're awake, dear. And Marceline, good morning. Breakfast is on the table, your father will be up shortly. I thought you girls could use a home-cooked breakfast before you go back to school today." Mrs. Buchman was wiping her hands on a dish towel. Bonnibel looked behind her to see her girlfriend's reaction, and Marceline merely shrugged. Mr. Buchman entered and took his seat shortly after the girls did.

"Good morning, ladies. Bonnie, what is the plan for today?" Mr. Buchman poured himself orange juice from a carton on the table.

"Marcy and I haven't decided exactly when we plan on leaving today. But before we do, I'd like to talk to you both."

"No problem, dear. We can do it after breakfast."

"What is it you need to discuss with us, Bonnie?"

"Mom, I think I'd rather wait until after breakfast if you don't mind." Marceline glanced concernedly at the pink-haired girl next to her. _She's worried I'm going to lose my nerve. Not that I blame her. I didn't exactly rise to the challenge—it's the last day of break and I'm just doing this now. _There was no talking of any kind during breakfast. Dishes were collected, washed, and put away. Bonnie knew her time was up when her parents sat down in the living room.

"Mom...Dad...I don't know how to say this any other way, so I'll put as simply as I can." Marceline came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. Bonnibel inhaled deeply and felt resolve course through her. _I can do this._ "I'm bisexual. And Marceline isn't just my friend. She's my girlfriend." The last of her air was gone, and the next breath she took to brace herself. In stunned silence her parents stared at her for what felt like a millennium.

"Bonnie...why?" Mrs. Buchman was, unsurprisingly, the first to break. "I don't understand."

"I was born this way, Mom. That's all there is to it."

"I know that's what people say, but...but you've had a boyfriend before! How can you be a lesbian?"

"I said that I was bisexual, Mom. I like men _and_ women."

"Are you sure this isn't just a phase? I hear people go through this sort of thing sometimes when they need a change of pace, or are under stress or...or..."

"Mom!"

"What your mother is trying to say is: are you sure this is the right choice? Life is going to be a lot harder for you if you go down this road, Bonnibel." Mr. Buchman held his wife's hand in calm firmness, while she was gripping his with white knuckles.

"What sort of 'choice' are you talking about? I did not _choose_ to be attracted to women."

"But you have chosen to date one." Mr. Buchman corrected. "People will look down on you, and on our entire family for this."

"I don't get it...why is this happening to you all of a sudden, Bonnie? Did we do something wrong? I thought we raised you right? What could we have done to you to make you this way?" Tears started to flow down Mrs. Buchman's cheeks, and she clung to her husband like a scared child.

"Mom, you didn't do anything wrong. This is just the way I am. And nothing is going to change that."

"Bonnibel, I wish you would reconsider this. Just because you feel attracted to women doesn't mean that you need to date one to be happy."

"What is wrong with you two?!" Bonnie stood up, fists clenching. "I thought this was a reasonably progressive family. You taught me to respect and value the differences in everyone else when I was a child. Why am _I _the only exception?!"

"...because you're not everyone else, Bonnibel. You're our daughter. It's easy to say you support the rights of unique people when you don't have to deal with it in your own family." Mr. Buchman sighed heavily enough to shake the housing foundations. "I don't know how we're going to manage this. It really is a shock to hear you tell us that you're dating another woman." Clenched fists began to shake and Bonnibel Buchman looked like she was about to lose it. It was a good thing someone else in the room still had a level head.

"Look you guys, this isn't supposed to be an argument." Marceline stepped forward and put her arms around Bonnie's shoulders protectively. "Bonnie just wants you to know because she loves you both and she wants you to be able to understand her better. I get that this is tough for you, but it really isn't so bad. It's just...different."

"You don't get to lecture us." Mrs. Buchman glared at Marceline and ten thousand arrows ripped through her. "This is your fault. You did this to her! She's never been like this before she met you. You recruited her and made her this way. You're a monster!"

"That's enough!" Mr. Buchman effectively broke up the conversation and brought everyone plummeting down to earth again. "This is obviously going to take some time for your mother and I to sort out. In the meantime, I suggest that the both of you go somewhere. We're not kicking you out, and you don't have to drive back to school yet. But we need some space and some time to talk this through."

Hurt and surprise passed over Bonnie's face for a second before determination and anger took their place. Without so much as a glance at her parents she turned on her heel and walked up the stairs to her room. Standing in the living room with two weeping parents who were still staring at her, she watched her girlfriend go to her room and shut the door.

"Bonnibel..." Her eyes watered, but no tears fell. _I can't let myself cry. I need to be strong and supportive for her right now._ Her eyes moved to lock with those of the Buchmans. She nodded to them, and ascended the stairs to find her princess. She knocked on the door. "Bonnie?" No answer. "Bonnie?"

"Come in, Marceline..." came the weak response from the other side. Marceline opened the door as quietly as she could manage. Her eyes found Bonnibel at her bed, shoving her things in her bag.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?"

"Packing."

"I see. Do you want to go back to school?"

"Maybe." _This is getting me nowhere._ Marcy went over next to Bonnie and caught her hand as she was forcibly cramming a sports bra into one corner of her bag.

"Talk to me, Bonbon. What are we gonna do?"

"We...we..." Bonnibel finally turned around and Marceline saw her face. Tears were streaming down in rivers. "Oh Marcy!" Bonnibel had finally lost the last of her strength and her legs began to give way as she fell against Marceline's chest and began to sob. Instead of trying to prop her up, she let both of them sink to the floor, the princess held firmly in her slender arms. While Bonnie was soaking the front of Marceline's shirt with tears, Marceline stroked her bubblegum hair. "Why? Why are they like this? I knew they were going to be upset, but I thought they loved me no matter what!"

"They do love you, Bonnie. I know it doesn't feel like it now, but if they didn't love you they would have kicked you out or disowned you."

"But why, Marceline? Why did the hurt me like this? Especially my mom..." The vampire had to think about this for a moment before she found a way to phrase it.

"Because they're hurting too, Bonnie. This was a shock to them. They feel like they've lost their daughter. The crying over the image of you that they've lost. You're right that they shouldn't have reacted that way, but when people get hurt...sometimes all they know to do is hurt back."

"Marcy...Marcy..." Bonnie sobbed harder and louder, holding Marcy tighter. _I hate seeing her cry. But what am I supposed to do? _Marceline asked herself that question over and over, and the two girls sat there on the floor for what must have been ages. When Bonnie had finally stopped crying, she clung to her girlfriend's torso with her face buried in a now quite wet shirt.

"We should probably go now. Your parents must be wondering why we're still here."

"Yeah..."Bonnie sniffled. "You're probably right." Their belongings were packed, so they went out into the hall and down the stairs. The parents weren't in the living room, and there was no noise to be heard anywhere. The girls put on their coats and closed the door behind them with care to preserve the quiet.

"So are we going back to school?" Marceline asked, sliding into the passenger seat. Bonnibel gripped the steering wheel.

"...no. I'm not going to be chased out of my hometown by my parents."

"Well then where _are_ we going?"

"...to Finn and Jake's."

* * *

When the pair arrived at the house of the two boys, they were greeted warmly despite showing up unannounced. Both brothers had their lady friends with them for one last hangout before school started. After explaining the situation and drawing strength from the caring of her friends, Bonnibel had started to recover from this morning's argument. A satisfying lunch was had, and people were congregating in the family room in the basement. It was decorated with a vague impression of "North Woods Cabin," and was a shrine to the comfortable enjoyment of entertainment media. A nice television, modern game systems, surround sound, and some of the plushiest furniture around. Marceline and Bonnibel were lounging together on the couch.

"You feeling better, P-Bubs?" Finn asked from the large armchair where he again held Amber in his lap.

"I think so, Finn. Thank you."

"So you're done with your 'plop-dumps and waggle sags,' Bonbon?" Marceline stuck her tongue out, quoting Bonnie's nonsensical phrases from the other day. This made Bonnie giggle.

"Oh, you." She leaned in to nuzzle Marceline's nose, being as cutesy as possible.

"Look at those two lovebirds. Soaking it up," Jake said. He gave Rainy a squeeze around her waist. "Makes me remember when we first got together, babe. In high school." He was clearly teasing about the PDA the two were girls were displaying, and Bonnie shot him a playful glare.

"Shut up." As payback she kissed Marceline right on the lips, wrapping her arms around the girl's neck. The gathered friends produced a loud "ooooooo" in spirit of the taunt over high school behavior.

"Whatever. You're all just jealous." Marcy planted a kiss on Bonnie's cheek.

"So what shall we do now, then?" Rainy asked.

"I don't know. We kind of already did everything we usually do, right?" Amber said, asking indirectly if there was anything else the group could think of. "Maybe just hot cocoa and a movie?"

Everyone agreed they would watch a fantasy movie. The first of three in the series, and the extended director's cut at that. The movie was only an hour in when audible snoring could be heard. Amber and Finn had fallen asleep together, huddled in their blanket. Amber was wrapped in Finn's arms and resting her head under his chin.

"Guess it's just the adults now, huh?" Jake stated.

"I hope you're feeling alright, Bonnie. I can imagine that this morning must have been very upsetting. I didn't think your parents were those sorts of people." Rainy expressed her concern for her friend's well-being and her disappointment in Mr. and Mrs. Buchman.

"I didn't think so either, Rainy. But maybe I should have seen this coming. It's not like there wasn't some evidence. Did you know that once, when we were discussing the same-sex marriage issue, my mother once said she felt like some people say they're interested in the same sex just to stand out and be different? I corrected her by telling her it was something you're born with, but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time. And my father...I'm never really sure what my father thinks."

"You just gotta do you, man—I mean Bubblegum. You know what I mean. I hope you know we're all behind you on this. Both of you." Jake took his hand away from his lady long enough for thumbs-up.

"Thanks Jake. You and Finn have always been there when I needed you. You too, Rainy. Though I'm surprised Amber feels close enough to us to care like that." Bonnibel jerked her head at the young couple in the chair.

"She may not always act like it, but she cares a lot about social justice. And boy does she have a temper! She got so peeved earlier this week when her father called some guy on the news a fag that she went on a huge rant and smashed a lamp."

"Whoa. Crazy."

"What time are you two planning to return to school?" Rainy chimed in with her question, knowing that if Amber woke up to hear them discussing her temper, she might lose that temper. "Jake and I were thinking of leaving in about 3 hours—around 4:00 or 4:30." Bonnie considered for a moment. "Did you want us to wait for you?"

"No. I think we're going to go back to my house after the movie."

"What? Why?" Rainy's voice was notably worried.

"Are you sure that's a good idea, Bonnie? They didn't exactly say when they wanted us back." Marceline reached for her girlfriend's hand and gripped it firmly.

"I'm sure. If they do end up not wanting to see me, there are a few things I must take with me when I leave. And if that leads to another fight, then so be it." Bonnie's tone told her friends that she was going back, and that was that.

* * *

Bonnie and Marcy stayed at Finn and Jake's until it was time for Jake and Rainy to drive back to school. Hugs were exchanged, as well as a good luck wish for what might be another confrontation at the Buchman house. Driving home in the gathering dark, Bonnibel and Marceline silently held hands, wondering what awaited them upon their return. When they pulled up, lights were on in the living room and kitchen. The parents were waiting for them at the kitchen table. Not willing to be intimidated, Bonnie sat down across from her father with Marceline in tow.

"I'm glad you didn't go back to school. We should discuss this now instead of letting wounds fester." Mr. Buchman folded his hands. "Your mother and I have been talking all day. We weren't sure what to do about this."

"Why do you need to do anything?" Bonnibel sounded like she was ready to fight again.

"Let me finish. Your mother and I still love you, Bonnibel. We're trying to understand you, and why this is going on. We don't think that this is the right path for you, Bonnibel. And we still think this could just be a phase. But we support your happiness. If this is what you feel will make you happy, then we're going to try and get used to it." A deep sigh followed his words. "Dear, I believe you have something to say."

"I know." Mrs. Buchman stepped forward. "Marceline, I'm sorry that I said you were a monster. It was uncalled for." Returning to her seat beside her husband, she continued. "Bonnibel, I'm sorry that I reacted like that. I lost my head and said things I shouldn't have. But you have to know that I was concerned for you. I was upset because I care."

"I know, Mom." Bonnie couldn't make any more words come out. _They're sorry but...I still don't feel right. _

"Now, Marceline...you seem like a fine young woman. I can see why my daughter would be interested in you. But this is an entirely different light to see you in than the one under which you were introduced. We were tricked into allowing you to stay under false pretenses. While we can't say for certain we would have turned you away if Bonnibel had been honest to begin with, we have become a a great deal more uncomfortable around you as a result of this whole affair." Mr. Buchman drew in a long breath. "If in the future you would like to be a guest in our home again, I must insist that you not stay the night again for some time. When we feel we can trust both of you again, then we may reconsider." Marceline nodded, unsure of what she should say.

"Dad...isn't that a little unfair? Yes, I lied to you. But Marceline shouldn't be punished for it—she only went along with it because she knew how scared I was to tell you."

"That may be true, but she lied all the same. And I can't punish one of you and not the other. Her not staying here overnight is as much a punishment for you as for her. Your mother and I discussed it, and our decision is final. You are an adult now, and you live away from home most of the year, so I can't control who you spend your nights with in Minton. But when you are staying at home, your...your significant other is not allowed to spend the night."

"I see. Well, if that's all, I need to grab a few things from my room before we leave." Bonnibel rose from the table and left the kitchen. Marceline shuffled to the door in discomfort, trying to avoid speaking to the Buchmans without her girlfriend by her side. _They didn't have to make it sound so...sordid. Bonnie and I aren't some dirty secret. _As she put her hand on the doorknob, Bonnie returned and slipped her arm through Marcy's before turning to wave halfheartedly at her parents. "I'll see you for winter break." Returning her attention to her girlfriend, "Let's go, Marcy." The two stepped out the door, but Marceline had another thought.

"Thanks again for having me in your home. I really appreciated it," she said through the closing door. She caught a last glimpse of the Buchmans, looking at her with confusion and concern as she left what once was their suburban paradise on the arm of their only daughter. _I wonder if they hate me..._The door shut.

* * *

The two girls arrived back at Bonnie's dorm room and were more than ready for bed.

"I'm sorry about this whole affair, Marcy. I didn't think that my family would have such a severe overreaction to our relationship. I'm glad we made it back to school though—I needed to get out of there."

"Tell me about it. That was emotionally exhausting." Marceline was surprised when Bonnibel took her hand.

"Please Marcy, forgive me for those terrible things my mother said to you." As she looked into the eyes of her vampire, Bonnie's eyes begged equally as much as her voice.

"You're not responsible for that. Don't worry Bonnie—I'm used to people not liking me."

"But...but Marcy I..." Bonnibel was quieted by a pair of hands tenderly cupping either side of her face.

"Don't let guilt haunt you, Bonnie. All I care about is you." Marceline's face drew closer. "My sweet...lovely...Bonnibel..." The Vampire Queen kissed her girlfriend, delicately stroking pink-flushed cheeks with her thumbs. A tiny little moan escaped Bonnie's throat as she let herself be swept up in the feeling of Marcy's lips against her own. As the kiss broke she felt her head pressed into a cushioned chest. "Let's get ready for bed, Bonnie. I have an idea."

"Mmm...that sounds lovely." A short while later, Bonnibel came back into her room from the bathroom, and noticed Marceline was sitting up in bed. She crawled up to find her girlfriend wearing only a bra on her upper half.

"Take off the shirt and turn around, Bonnie." _What in the world is she up to? _Bonnibel did as she was told, though she still was a little shy about being shirtless. No sooner had she finished wiggling around to face the opposite direction did she hear a small _pop! _Floral scents filled her nostrils. Then came something cold on her back and shoulders, followed by her vampire's slender hands.

"A massage?"

"Yeah. You seemed like you really needed to relax. Chill out some, you know?" Marceline began to distribute the lotion across Bonnibel's back with her hands. She started to press firmly into her girlfriend's muscles, pressing hard enough to hurt only a little and leave a pleasant feeling in the wake of her fingers.

"Mmmmm...ah! Marcy, not so hard."

"It's gotta be firm, Bonnie. Otherwise the tension doesn't come out."

"Ah! O-ok." The pressure of Marceline's massage was difficult to adapt to at first—Bonnie had never had a massage before. _It does feel good though. Even though it kind of hurts, when her fingers move it feels great. Marcy knew I needed to de-stress. I would have just gone ahead, pushed myself just as hard as always. But Marcy knew...somehow she knew. _Bonnie could feel her shoulders sagging down, losing their muscle tension. Another thing she wasn't expecting—a feathery and warm touch accompanied by hot breath on the nape of her neck. A gasp that shifted into a moan rose into the air. Another teasing kiss followed as the massaging hands wandered about on her back. Bonnie felt herself melting, drawing back into the arms of the vampire behind her. Marcy held her close, still planting kisses on her neck. The sensation was relaxing and exciting at the same time. So relaxing in fact that her eyelids felt heavier. "Marcy..."

"Sleepy, princess?"

"Mhm."

"Must be time for bed then." Marcy adjusted her arms to secure her girlfriend's waist. _This feeling._ She let them both fall back onto the pillow. _The swirling warmth in my stomach._ She pulled the comforter over them, and locked her lips one more time onto the neck of the pink-haired girl. _The way my heart feels like it flutters when she holds me...what is this?_ She traced them up over her jaw to her ear and whispered, "Goodnight Bonbon."

**Bonnie did it. And it didn't go quite like she thought it would. Often times, those sorts of things don't go the way we think they will. We expect the worst, we come out alright. We expect some level of tolerance, and our family acts like it's the end of the world. And then there's something in between. Well, it could always be worse. _Always._ **

**Voting for the fate of the fic is still up, though depending on how long it takes me to write it, I may close it off when the next chapter goes up. I will do my utmost to catch up to time in the real world so that we can have a Bubbline Christmas. Keep reading, and spread the love. See you next time!**


	13. A Book, A Shower, and A Long Drive

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**Christmas is on its way, both in our world and in theirs. I will do my best to provide my readers with a lovely Bubbline Christmas as my present to the community. In the meantime, it seems like the girls have begun connecting a bit deeper. And Bonnie's noticed something about the way she reacts to Marcy. You'll have to forgive me if I don't describe the physiological reactions with _perfect_ clarity, as it has been a long time since I've had them in response to another person. But most of us have felt it at least once, in our teenaged years perhaps—the melty feeling you get from being with your crush or first love. After all, isn't that what we continue to chase?**

"_Marcy...mm!" Bonnie had had enough waiting. Teasing had its place, but she couldn't hold back. She was so curious and so turned on at the same time._

"_Ah! B-Bonnie! Aaaaaaahhhhh~!" Marceline was entering a state of bliss, grabbing Bonnie's shoulder and digging her nails into the skin. It was a tiny bit painful, but it made Bonnie so happy to know she was doing well and making Marcy feel good. And she was feeling so good in fact that her moans were becoming long and drawn out. She was letting out a particularly loud one when-_

Bonnie's nose touched Marcy's, and she opened her eyes. Before her was the face of a still-sleeping vampire. It was early yet, not time to get out of bed. She kissed her vampire's nose with a smile, lightly enough not to wake her. _It's a Thursday. December the 13__th__. And it's the fifth night in a row I've had that dream. _She wriggled deeper into the loose embrace of her girlfriend and inhaled the familiar scent. It was subtle, and buried under the smell of Bonnie's room, but distinctly Marcy nonetheless. _Five nights in a row is more times than I've ever had a single dream. Not that I mind this particular one so much. But I'm not even sure if what I'm doing in the dream is correct. This settles it—I need to find a book on the subject if I'm even going to have a chance._ Bonnie was adjusting her legs when her bare feet brushed against Marcy's. It was a lovely feeling, and she couldn't resist another touch. The skin-to-skin contact she got from Marcy was something she enjoyed immensely, and it made her want to be even closer to the pale girl.

"Mmmm...playing footsie so early in the morning, Bonbon?" Bonnie glanced up into those brown eyes with a hint of red. A mischievous kiss from the vampire closed her eyes again. "Let's stay here. We don't have to get up just yet, right?"

"I haven't looked at the clock, but it doesn't look bright enough outside."

"Good. I'd miss my bubblegum princess. So warm and soft..." Marcy leaned her head down under Bonnie's chin and nuzzled the neck she so liked to tease. She also felt a shudder travel through the soft body she was holding, and a breathy sound of happiness found her ears. Having satisfied her inner tease for the moment, Marcy drifted back off to sleep with a contented sigh. Bonnie was left with her own thoughts again. _I wonder..._Bonnie moved a hand down Marcy's back and rested it on Marcy's behind. The response was a sleepy moan, but Marcy did not wake up. Inwardly giggling, Bonnie thought to herself, _Well, it sounds to me like _that_ part of the dream was correct. _With the idea of looking into a book still floating around in her head, she let sleep retake her for a little more rest beside her vampire girlfriend.

* * *

A few hours and one unfortunate but temporary parting later, Bonnibel bought herself a very interesting audiobook with what little spare capital she had left.

"That should do it. Too bad it cost me the rest of my spare cash." She clicked once more and closed her laptop.

"What did you buy, Bonnie? Something on the internet, right?" Rainy asked. Bonnie felt a guilty smile creep across her face.

"None of your business, Rainy. It's something you wouldn't want to know anyway."

"Heheheh...the princess bought something naughty, didn't she?" Jake was not going to miss an opportunity to make fun of any of his friends.

"Jake! It's just a book, ok? You know I read a lot, I just don't have as much time lately so I bought an audiobook."

"Whatever you say, Princess. But don't you have a bigger problem than books right now?"

"Like what?"

"Like it's almost Christmas. Where are you and Marceline going to stay over break?" This time her face froze, and she felt a knot form in her stomach. Bonnie had completely forgotten about Christmas.

"Oh...my...Glob. I've been so busy with finals that I totally forgot! I haven't arranged any place for us to stay yet!" Bonnie's head fell into her hands with a muffled _thwump!_ "Glob...what am I gonna do?"

"Don't worry Bonnie. You'll think of something. You are very resourceful." Rainy let a hand come to rest on her pink friend's shoulder.

"I don't know...Jake? Can Marceline stay with you and Finn?"

"I'm not sure that would go over too well. I mean, she's cool and all, but I don't think she can stay the whole break. We'll give her a spot on the couch for a while though."

"That would be great, thank you. We'll try and get her another place for the rest of it. Though I feel bad—it's almost like we're talking about a stray dog we found. But there's no way my parents would let her back after last time."

"Yeah. I bet they're pretty steamed. They should just learn to get over it, man." Rainy nodded her agreement.

"Easier said than done."

* * *

"Oh yeah. That. I like, totally forgot," said Marceline later when Bonnibel told her of their predicament. _No, I really didn't forget, Bonnie. I just wish I could. But I still remember the way they looked at me..._

"Well, Jake said you can crash with him and Finn for some of the break. But he isn't sure about the whole thing. Is there any place in or around Ooo where you can stay?" Marcy grabbed her other arm uncomfortably and looked at Bonnie's dorm floor.

"Well...maybe. But only as a last resort. I really would rather not go to him if I don't have to."

"Go to who, Marcy?"

"...my dad."

That night, before the couple turned in, Marcy sat in Bonnie's folding chair hunched over her phone. She was carefully composing a text to her father.

Marcy: Hey dad. I might be in town for Christmas this year. I'm gonna stay with a friend for the start of the break, but I'm going to need another place to sleep later. Do you mind if I stay with you?

She took a deep breath and hit SEND. She put her phone next to Bonnie's and crawled up into bed beside her. Another deep breath failed to calm her nerves. What did help though was feeling Bonnie's arms wrap around her and squeeze. Putting the text and its recipient out of her mind, she snuggled into her girlfriend's warm body and drifted off to sleep. The next morning was just as snuggly as usual. But picking up her phone after getting out of bed, Marceline noticed the reply waiting for her.

Dad: Of course I don't mind. I'd be glad to see you for the holidays! You know there's always space at home for my little monster.

Bonnie noticed Marcy reading her phone. She poked her head over a pale shoulder.

"Oh, your dad said you could stay with him. That's great—you have a place to stay now." She slipped her arms around the waist she had been holding not 10 minutes ago.

"Yeah...it's great. We're gonna have to drive separately though, so that's a bummer." _Deflecting now, Marceline? Really? Ugh. Whatever...I'll tell her about him some other time._

"It's alright. We'll drive together and hang out when we get back to Ooo."

"Yeah. That would be nice."

"So...when do I get to meet him?" Marcy felt her stomach bottom out.

"Meet...who, Bonnie?"

"Your dad, of course."

"Bonnie I...I don't think..."

"What's wrong, Marceline?

"Bonbon...I'm not so sure that's a good idea." Bonnie pursed her lips a moment.

"Why don't you want me to meet your father, Marcy?" Marceline hung her head and wrapped her arms around herself to grip the ones still about her waist.

"My relationship with my dad is...interesting. I don't know how he'll react to you. It's been a while since I've seen him in person. And no _way_ have I let anyone I've dated come anywhere _near_ him." She squeezed the arms she was holding tighter.

"Perhaps it's time you should. Is it like with my parents? Does he not know you like girls?"

"No. He definitely knows. I'm just not sure he's totally ok with it." She felt the encircling arms move up from her waist to rest around her neck, followed by two squishy objects pressing against her back. Bonnie was standing on her tiptoes and resting her head on Marcy's shoulder.

"It's your decision. I won't make you introduce me to your father. But I hope you'll think about it. For me?" Despite being new at it, Bonnibel Buchman had become a little more comfortable with turning on the charm. Marceline could only have done it to her so many times before she caught on to how it worked.

"Ok. I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Marcy." Bonnie topped it off by kissing Marcy's shoulder. "You should get ready now. I don't have class to go to today, but I know you do. Best get a move on." She winked at her girlfriend and sat down in her office chair, watching the pale girl get dressed. Marcy pulled her coat over her long-sleeved striped shirt and went over to kiss her girlfriend.

"I'll see you in a few hours, Bonbon."

"I'll be home when you get back." Marcy waved on her way out and shut the door. Bonnie waited for a few minutes, thinking. _She's so beautiful, and so much fun. And so sexy..._Bonnie grabbed her smartphone and headphones. She opened the audiobook and hit PLAY. _I am getting tired of being curious. Time to get some answers._ The book was very comprehensive. It covered things like mental blocks, societal ideas about sexual practices, anatomy, physiology, finding sex partners, specific sexual techniques...just the sort of "textbook" Bonnie was looking for. The whole book was 11 hours and some odd minutes total, divided into two parts. After jotting down some notes through the first few chapters, Bonnie figured she should get ready for the day instead of staying in her pajamas (no matter how enticing the idea was). She peeled off her clothes and slipped into her pink plushy robe. Slipping on her designated bathroom flip-flops and grabbing her toiletries, she went off to the shower. Only a few minutes later, Marceline returned to the dorm.

"Hey Bonbon I'm...home?" She looked around and up into bed. "Where are you?" _Not like there's anyplace she can hide in here._ "Hm. Maybe she went to get something from the vending machines in the basement." Marcy took off her coat and put her things down. _I feel kinda gross—I was sweating too much during the final. I need a shower._ She grabbed one of Bonnie's clean pink towels and her own little bag of soaps, and walked to the bathroom. When she got there, she could hear water running already. She recognized a robe on the hook, and looked down to see an adorable and familiar pair of feet. She smirked. She yanked open the curtain to the small shower stall.

"Need a shower, Bonnibel?"

"Marceline! What are you doing?"

"What? I just wanted to see my beautiful girlfriend."

"Yeah! Naked! Close the curtain!" Marcy stepped inside and slid the curtain back in place. "No, Marcy, I didn't mean-"

"Oh, relax, Bonbon. Nobody saw you but me."

"Well yeah...I know. But I need to shower, and so do you." Bonnie went back to rinsing her hair as if that was the end of it. But as she opened her body wash it was snatched away from her.

"Let me get that for you." Marcy squirted a small puddle of soap onto her palm. She lathered it up between her hands. Bonnie was about to protest again when Marcy abruptly kissed her. The next thing she felt was a pair of hands rubbing soap on her shoulders and back, pressing the two of them together. Feeling Marcy's breasts against hers was electrifying. Throughout the kiss Marcy continued to soap her up. When she had cleaned everything she could touch she broke the kiss. "Turn around." Bonnie nodded and did what her girlfriend said.

"Marcy..."

"Shh. Not done yet." Marcy got more soap and started again, this time cleaning Bonnie's front. She felt a ticklish shudder run through the princess while she spread the soap over her stomach. When the washing was finally done, she spun Bonnie around and kissed her again. She had a serene smile on her face. "It is Friday, Bonnie. Why don't we have a lazy day at my place where we have some more room?" Bonnie grabbed the vampire girl's shoulders and leaned her head against her chest.

"I'd like that." Both of them left the shower with their things and returned to pack for the weekend. The girls had taken to spending most weekends at Marceline's, since they didn't have to share it with anyone. It was nice to be able to see friends or just have some time to themselves without drunken college students shouting, talking loudly, getting into fights, or doing stupid things under the influence of alcohol. A short motorcycle ride was a thrilling start to their mostly carefree weekend. Nothing quite as steamy as their encounter in the shower happened, but neither of them forgot about it. The next week flew by in a rush of exams and papers. Marcy was agonizing over letting Bonnie meet her father, while Bonnie hurriedly finished her book. When Friday the 20th arrived, it was time to mount another trip to Ooo.

* * *

The young couple was putting most of their belongings into Bonnie's car—motorcycles aren't suited to hauling many objects. The snow was coming down at a fair rate, and both of them knew the weather was going to slow their drive. Upon completion, the two shared a brief but very sweet kiss.

"Follow me to Finn and Jake's house. We'll drop your stuff off and then we're free to do whatever we want."

"Then let's go, Bonnie. We should try and get ahead of the weather, don't you think?" Bonnie nodded, kissed her girlfriend again, and climbed into her car. Marcy started her bike, and the drive began.

-Bonnie's Car-

_I should probably finish that audiobook. There's bound to be more important information at the end. _She glanced at her rear view mirror to see Marceline on her bike, eyes concealed by the visor on her helmet. _Oh Marcy. I wish you weren't out there in the cold. You should be in the car with me, where there's heat. When we get a chance, I'm going to smother you with all those blankets we brought. _Bonnie sighed.

The heat was on high, and Bonnie was starting to feel very warm. _This car is starting to feel like a sauna. _Sauna. Water turning to steam. Suddenly Bonnie was flashing back to last weekend's shared shower. _That was so...wonderful. Having her hands touch me so freely...it felt so good. _A different kind of warmth spread through Bonnie's chest, fanning out into her limbs. _Marcy...I'm only just starting to understand the urges I've been feeling around you. The need to touch you and to be touched. The things I want to do..._She cast another look at the girl in the mirror. _I know you want to slow things down, but I think I'm ready. I just hope you'll be ready soon. _

-Marcy's Bike-

Marcy was busy driving. She was also shivering and cursing her decision to buy a motorcycle. _Glob it's freezing out here. You just had to buy a bike, Marceline. Plenty of nice red or black cars you could have chosen, but nooo, you wanted a bike. I guess that's one thing Dad may have been right about in the end. _

Marceline's thoughts shifted gears. _Ugh...Dad. What am I gonna do? Bonnie wants to meet him. I mean, it's only fair, right? I met her parents, so she wants to meet mine. But my dad is so unbearable sometimes. I can't trust him to be civil around her. But how do I say no to..._Marcy saw their together shower play before her in a rush. _That? _

_I've really gotta make up my mind. I know Bonnie will be upset if I refuse to introduce her, but can I afford to risk losing her by exposing her to my dad? He hasn't exactly been receptive to the idea of me dating _anyone,_ much less a girl. _Marcy gave her head a subtle shake. _There's no good solution here. It looks like I've decided. Bonnie's going to get what she asked for. I just hope she's prepared for it, because I doubt it's anything like she anticipated._

-Bonnie's Car-

The heat in Bonnie's core had only increased over the course of half an hour. She found herself reliving all of the most sensual times she shared with Marcy. It was like she couldn't help herself. _Marcy...I'm doing my best to wait. It's hard to be patient. But I agree with what you told me. It should be a special experience. I suppose it's just as well we wait. There's no place I can think of that we could reasonably expect to get time alone over the holiday break. Besides, I'll be too busy meeting your father..._

Just then a thought occurred to her. _Wait...Marcy said her dad was always late picking her up, and late to almost everything else besides his job. Whatever he does for a living must be demanding of his time. Marcy is going to be staying with him, but if his job is that time-consuming, he might be gone for hours at a time..._The chance of finally being able to have the intimacy that she had been so eager for at the outset appeared so close. The chance was slim, but..._I have to finish that book!_

The girls arrived at Finn and Jake's about forty-five minutes later than they expected. Their next stop was a coffee shop. They could only stay out for so long, though. Since the primary activities to be found in Ooo were shopping, eating, and seeing movies, two college students with minimal funds to spare would have a hard time entertaining themselves. Finn and Jake were on a double date with their ladies, so the next best place to go was Bonnie's house.

"Welcome home, Bonnie. And Marceline. I was wondering when you were getting back to town." Mrs. Buchman was, of course, the one to greet them. Mr. Buchman was still at work for about another hour. "I was just about to have tea. Would you girls like some?"

"What do you think, Marcy? We did just have coffee." Bonnie knew that this invitation was a surface gesture—Mrs. Buchman was more than likely still uncomfortable around the two girls as a couple. Marceline considered for a moment, but was not one to run from conflict.

"You know, I think that would be nice. That is, if you feel like it, Bonnie." Marcy reached for Bonnie's hand. A nod was all she really needed, and she got it.

"Then why don't you join me at the table?" Mrs. Buchman got two extra cups from the cupboard and sat in her usual spot. Marcy and Bonnie sat down next to each other. Marceline took note of the equipment on the table: a large teapot that held enough tea to entertain a family and their guests, and a matched set of cups without handles. _I guess they really like their tea._ Mrs. Buchman poured tea for each of them, using her opposite hand to brace the cover in a graceful fashion like a trained professional. "So, Marceline, where are you staying now?"

"With Finn and Jake for a little while. After that I'll be going home to my dad."

"So does he live near here then?"

"Yeah, he lives over by Nightos High."

"I have some friends over on that part of town. But if he's so close, why did you need to stay with us for Thanksgiving?"

"It's a long story. Maybe some other time."

"No family problems I hope. I wouldn't want secrets to come between you and Bonnie."

"It won't be a problem. My dad and I have our differences, but I've never let him stop me from dating before. He isn't someone I'm worried about getting in the way."

"I see, dear. That's a relief to know." Bonnie could only watch as her mother alternated between digging for information, and making veiled shots at Marceline, wondering if Marcy could even tell what was going on behind the scenes. A hope for escape entered in the form of her father.

"Sorry that took so long." He strode into the kitchen casually. "I see my princess is back from college. And Marceline, good to see you again." Mrs. Buchman turned her attention away from the two at the table.

"Welcome home, dear. I was just having some tea with Bonnie and Marceline."

"That sounds good right now. Do you mind if I join you?" He took his seat across from Marceline and next to his wife. "You know, Bonnibel, your mother and I are going out tonight. Dinner will be up to you two."

"Oh. Thanks for letting us know, Dad. When are you leaving?"

"In about twenty minutes. We'll be gone until late, but remember that Marceline is not to stay the night. You need to drive her to wherever she's staying before midnight. And while we're out there won't be any funny business, will there Marceline?"

"Not while I'm a guest in your house, Mr. Buchman."

"Thank you. I also assume you would prefer to visit Bonnie every day for the course of the vacation?"

"That, or she can come and see me. I'll be at Finn and Jake's or at my dad's. I won't be far."

"I see. Well then, perhaps we can get to know you a little better over the course of the holidays. After all, if you're going to be here so often, we should talk more frequently."

"Yes, I think that sounds like fun."

"I look forward to it. Now, if you'll excuse us, my wife and I need to prepare for our evening out." Mr. and Mrs. Buchman left the room, and Bonnie resisted the urge to cradle her head in her hands. Her father had been just as bad as her mother. And still she couldn't tell if Marcy was aware that what sounded like friendly conversation was actually a word game.

"Marcy, why don't we go sit on the couch? " She tugged her girlfriend's arm and they relocated to the living room. Television was always good to fill empty air. Despite being at home again, Bonnie and Marcy were lying together much the same as they did on Marceline's couch back in Minton. Bonnie pressed back into Marcy to avoid falling off while Marcy in turn draped her arm over Bonnie's shoulder. When the parents came to the door behind them to leave, they shut the blinds in the living room.

"That's a rule for us around here, Marceline. We shut these blinds so that no one looks into our house and decides they want our nice television. Do you two have plans yet for food? I wouldn't want to leave you without the ability to feed yourselves tonight." Mr. Buchman slipped his shoes on.

"Oh, I don't know. I'm sure that between the two of us we can figure out how to cook." Marcy craned her neck to meet Mr. Buchman's eyes. "But for the most part, I just thought I could watch a movie with Bonbon before dinner." Her arm adjusted to rest on Bonnie's chest and squeeze, while her face remained locked with Mr. Buchman's.

"Just thought I would be sure." The Buchman's left the house and locked the door behind them. Bonnie turned to stare in wonder at her girlfriend. _Wow. I guess Marcy isn't as defenseless as I thought she was._ The girls enjoyed their evening together, having idle discussion and piecing together a meal out of what they could find in the kitchen. At the end of the night, Bonnie drove Marcy to Finn and Jake's house. Sad but affectionate goodnight kisses were exchanged. Both of them went to bed thinking about the other. Surely there must be a resolution to this problem of sleeping apart for so long. For the time being however, they would just have to accept the limitations of their circumstances.

**The Buchmans are sharp, but Marcy's no slouch either. And I know shower scenes are a bit cliché, but it wasn't overly explicit. And if you think about it, it's kind of the next step up from massage without going too far. So the next chapter will hopefully be up just before, or just after Christmas. Ideally I'd like to post it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, but since I'll be picking up shifts at my old job so I can pay my bills, it might cut into my writing time. But I promise you that I've been trying to prepare for this next part of the story enough to where I think I can write it in both a convincing and enjoyable fashion. Voting on the fate of the fic is still open, but will close with the posting of the Christmas chapter. Hope you all enjoyed this one, and keep reading! **


	14. Christmas Daze

**[Author's Note: I claim no rights to Adventure Time, as it was created by the fabulous Pendleton Ward. I also make no profit whatsoever from publishing this work of fanfiction.]**

**Merry Christmas everyone! Well, it looks like I didn't quite keep promise. Posted just after midnight. Sorry folks. I hope Christmas was a good day for all my readers, regardless of their beliefs. And, if Christmas has been a real downer, hopefully a little Bubbline will be a nice pick-me-up. Enjoy everyone. **

"Wake up, Bonnie!" Marceline roughly shook a pink-clad shoulder.

"Ugh...Marcy...it's Christmas Eve Day. Aren't you a day early for this sort of behavior?" Bonnie sat up groggily in bed and rubbed her eyes. "How did you get into my house, anyway?"

"Your parents let me in. They were on their way out someplace anyway." Bonnibel was pulling on a pair of pants and one of her cutest sweaters when she felt the bed sink behind her.

"They went to volunteer at a soup kitchen. They do it every year."

"Well, I'm glad they left you behind. 'Cause I've got a day planned for us too." Marcy gave her girlfriend a tight squeeze around the waist. "Come on. Grab you keys and wallet."

"What about breakfast?"

"That's where we're going, silly." Bonnie was led downstairs and out the door to her car. Marcy drove for her, and brought them to their preferred coffee house in town. It wasn't much, given their financial status, but it was romantic nonetheless. She sprung for a light breakfast with their beverages, and they spent a good hour lounging about next to the fireplace in the sitting area. Eventually though they found themselves on cold car seats once again.

"Back to the house I assume?"

"Nope. We have something else to do. Remember how you said you wanted to see me play a show some time?" Butterflies filled Bonnie's stomach.

"Yeah...?"

"Well, it just so happens someone in town was looking for a musician to play some classic Christmas songs. And I...may have...totally gotten the job."

"Marcy this is great!" Throwing her arms around her girlfriend's neck, Bonnie was thrilled beyond measure. "I'm so excited!"

"Well, before you get _too_ excited, it's not an average gig. I'm playing at Simon's retirement home."

"Marceline, I don't care where you play. I'm just so excited to hear you perform."

"Aww, thanks Bonbon." Marcy swept her girlfriend into her arms and hugged her. "Let's get going. We have some setup to do beforehand."

* * *

"Marceline! You came to see an old man for Christmas. How thoughtful." Simon was dressed in a wintery-patterned blue sweater that was a bit too large for him, though it was hardly noticeable around his extraordinarily large beard. "And you brought your pretty princess girlfriend. Can I get some hugs?" Both of them hugged Simon, feeling the tickle from the wizard beard. "Ooh, look at me. Being hugged by two beautiful girls."

"Simon, you old kook." Marceline kissed him on the forehead. "Bonnie and I should go set up. The seniors are expecting me to start soon."

"Sure. I'll be sitting in the front row. First one there, as always." Marcy and Bonnie went to the impromptu stage with its curtain made from a bed sheet. There wasn't too much to do. Once the amplifier was plugged in and a stool set up, the last detail was arranging the Christmas decorations the seniors had requested to be on stage. Ten minutes before showtime, they heard a familiar voice becoming quite loud on the other side of the curtain.

"Woo! You rock, Marcy! Play the song I wrote!"

"Oh, Simon." Marceline shook her head with a bemused smile. "Bonnie, do you wanna go keep him company? I have to go over the songs in the program anyway."

"Of course, Marcy. Good luck." Marcy caught the kiss Bonnie blew at her.

"Luck? Pssh. Who needs luck when you're the queen of vampires?" Bonnie made a teasing, dismissive gesture and went out around the curtain and sat down next to the bearded man who was indeed in the very front row.

"Oh, Princess. Are you not part of the show?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I don't sing very well, and even if I did, I don't know if I could do it in public." Simon put his cold hand on her arm.

"I'm sure you have a lovely voice. Anyways, what sort of special things are you two doing for the holidays?"

"We went out for breakfast today. Plus this concert and...well, I guess that's it." Bonnie looked at the floor. "Though there's more I would _like_ to do..."

"Ooh. You mean uh..." Simon's eyebrows did a bouncing dance up and down his brow in a comical, 'hint-hint' expression. "That sort of thing?"

"S-Simon! What if people were listening?" The room was actually empty, but that didn't stop Bonnie's face from turning beet red.

"Psh. Have you seen this place? Half the people here are deaf, the other half need hearing aids, and anyone who's left is probably asleep." Bonnie realized he was right, but was still squirming in her seat. "Whether I was right or not, why aren't you doing what you want to do?"

"My parents don't approve of Marceline and I as a couple. And they've forbidden her to spend the night. I really want to take the next step between us, but I'm not sure how."

"You need a place where you two can be alone then, is that it?" She nodded. "I'm sure you'll find time. It is supposed to be the season of miracles, after all."

"I...I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll make it romantic for her. Whatever that means for you two, just make it special."

"...thank you, Simon. Your support means a lot to me." She motioned with her head towards the curtain. "And I'm sure it means a lot to her, too." Throughout the course of their conversation, other seniors had been filing in and filling up the seats. The lights were dimmed by the staff and the curtain was pulled, revealing the Vampire Queen sitting on the stool with her fantastic bass guitar.

"Hey there everyone. I hope everyone is having a good day. I'm here to play a few Christmas songs for you today. Sit back and enjoy." Marcy gave her strings a quick strum, and launched immediately into the first song: "Here Comes Santa Claus".

Marceline's voice was enchanting. Bonnie had heard her make up a few songs on the spot for her, but never accompanied by her bass. This performance was incredible. She found herself still caught up in the first song when the melody fell into "Jingle Bells". Bonnie remained captivated by her girlfriend's performance, so much so that as the hour crept by she didn't notice someone missing. Simon appeared on stage carrying a small keyboard. All of the lights went out except for the one over the performers, and Simon and Marcy began their duet of "Silent Night." If Bonnie was charmed by the other songs, this one put her under an even deeper spell than before.

"_Silent Night...Holy Night..._" Marcy's eyes locked with Bonnie's, a sweet and loving expression floating across the room to greet her. _"All is calm...All is bright..."_ Bonnie was utterly entranced by the beauty of the girl on stage. _"Round yon virgin, mother and child..." _Marcy held her hand out and let Simon play. Bonnie got up and tread slowly to the stage. _"Holy infant so, tender and mild..." _Each step she took felt like a dream. _"Sleep in heavenly peace..." _She finally reached out to touch Marcy's hand and was drawn in close. In spite of herself, Bonnie sang the last line of the song. _"Sleep in heavenly peace." _ Marcy stroked the back of Bonnie's hand with her thumb, and kissed her on the forehead.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Ready for what?"

"The finale. Hit it Simon." Simon keyed a few mellow notes, and then all at once the the melody picked up hard and fast into a rock song as Marcy came in on her bass. Bonnie recognized the song, so she and Marcy started to sing together.

"_Jingle bell, Jingle bell, Jingle bell rock! Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!_" Simon added his voice as the song progressed, but the two girls were in a world of their own. Marcy's intense rock rendition had swept them both up into the clouds, and neither wanted the spell to break. _"That's the jingle bell, that's the jingle bell, that's the jingle bell roooooooooock!" _The last few notes died and the couple shared a breathless and silent moment in each others' eyes as they came down from their high.

"Thanks everybody." Marceline turned to address the crowd and put her arm around Bonnibel's waist. The other arm raised up in a fist. "And have a Merry Christmas!"

After the show, Marcy and Bonnie chatted with Simon for a while. He hadn't been expecting the pink-haired princess to be joining her vampire on stage, and he most definitely insisted on doing something like that again. Dark fell, and it was time to return to the house of the Buchman's. Bonnie and Marcy both gave Simon big hugs, and on the way out he gave Bonnie a wink followed by a thumbs-up. She knew what he meant was 'good luck.'

* * *

"I guess your parents aren't home yet." The house was dark as they pulled up.

"They're going to be out all day. We always were on Christmas Eve."

"So you like, volunteered with your parents every single Christmas?" Bonnie nodded affirmative as they opened the door.

"Yes, every Christmas until I was 17. By junior year of high school I had been getting invited to a number of Christmas parties. At that age my parents decided I was finally old enough to go to one instead of having to volunteer. I didn't really mind the volunteer work—I even enjoyed it. But I had gotten tired of being downtown in a soup kitchen while all of my friends partied." Lights and the television were turned on as they walked to the kitchen.

"I can respect that. Volunteering can make you feel pretty good, but missing friends totally bunks." Marcy scanned the kitchen for food to no avail. "What should we do about dinner then, Bonbon?"

"How about breakfast for dinner? We could make french toast with strawberries and bacon and eggs."

"You had me at strawberries, Bon. Let's do this." So the girls cooked themselves a magnificent dinner of breakfast foods, deciding that non-traditional Christmas Eve dinner was even more romantic. Another fabulous night in each others' company. Marceline was just getting ready to walk out the door when the Buchmans' car pulled into the driveway. She hesitated for a moment, but dove right into a passionate kiss with Bonnie. _I don't care if they see us,_ she thought. _They're going to have to get used to this._ The kiss came to a sweet ending, much like the day itself, and Marcy drove herself to Finn and Jake's on her bike. Bonnie greeted her parents and had a brief conversation about her activities. Then she went to bed, her thoughts on Marcy and what tomorrow might hold for them.

The first thing Bonnie did with her Christmas morning was to eat a quick bowl of cereal and make herself tea. Not long after having poured it, her parents walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning and Merry Christmas, Bonnibel!" Her father hugged her from behind.

"Good morning Dad, Mom. Merry Christmas!"

"It looks like you ate already, dear. Would you mind waiting for the presents a little while longer while we eat some breakfast?" Mrs. Buchman fished some flatware out of the cabinets. "Eggs, husband?"

"With cheese and mushrooms, please." Bonnie sat in the living room near their moderate Christmas tree. She texted Marcy to find out when she would be arriving and was answered with "noonish." Her parents sat down on the couch with her plates and Bonnie decided to pass out the boxes. When the ribbons and wrapping paper settled on the floor, Bonnie found two new blends of tea, a vermillion scarf, and a gas station gift card in her lap, along with various candies just for the sake of candy. Afterward, the Buchman family went back to the kitchen table to do what they did every Christmas—making a conscious effort to spend time together as a family.

* * *

Out in the cold, a red motorcycle pulled up next to the driveway of the Buchmans. Marcy took off her helmet, her long, black hair sweeping down. She reached down into her pocket for her cell phone and made a call. The other side picked up almost immediately.

"_Hello?"_

"Merry Christmas, Dad."

"_Marceline! Merry Christmas to you too, honey. I was wondering when you'd call."_

"Well, I think I'm going to be busy the rest of the day, so...yeah."

"_Are you back in Ooo, then? You still have a place to stay?"_

"I'm staying with my friends Finn and Jake."

"_Finn and Jake, huh? As long as you have a roof over your head and food to eat. You know, there's always a place here for you."_

"Yeah, I know. Listen Dad, I just arrived someplace. I gotta go. There are people expecting me inside."

"_Ok. I love you, Marceline. Merry Christmas."_

"Merry Christmas, Daddy." She slid her phone back into her pocket and went to knock on the door.

"Come in Marcy!" A muffled voice instructed from the other side of the door. Opening the door and stomping the snow off her boots, Marceline saw the Buchmans seated around their kitchen table. The room was warm in temperature and spirit, and all three members of the family had happy expressions as they swept playing cards off the table to be shuffled together again. Marcy felt a small pang inside. _Look at them. A real family. Playing games and laughing together for Christmas. Maybe I shouldn't have come today..._

"Marceline. Come, sit down. We were just about to start another game. Would you like to play?"

"Uh...yeah. Sure." Marcy took a seat beside her girlfriend, receiving a jolly hug and a big wet kiss on the cheek. "You're pretty energetic today, Bonbon."

"Well, I've been on a wining streak for a little while, so I feel pretty good."

"So...what's the next game?"

"Why don't _you_ pick, Marceline?" Mr. Buchman said. "Any card game you think you're particularly skilled at?" Marcy considered for a moment where her strengths were. Compared to her estimation of Mr. Buchman's type of skill, she was left with the obvious choice.

"Bullshit. We're playing Bullshit." Marcy picked the deck off the table where it lay and shuffled, dealing the cards out. "Everyone familiar with the rules?"

"I'm not." Mrs. Buchman said.

"Neither am I, Marcy." Bonnie was picking up her cards and studying them.

"It's pretty simple, really. We deal out all the cards in the deck. We randomly decide who goes first. Then we go counterclockwise around. The first player puts as many cards as they want on the pile face-down, and tells us how many of what card they put down. The first player has to play aces, the next plays twos, and so on. The goal is to get rid of all of your cards, so lying about your cards could be in your benefit. If anyone doesn't believe what you say about your cards, they call 'bullshit,' and you have to show the table what you played. If you were lying, you have to pick up all the cards on the pile. But if you were telling the truth, the one who called you out takes all the cards."

"So it's a game about deception, then?" Mrs. Buchman sounded like she didn't think she'd enjoy the game based on that fact.

"Sort of. It's more about reading your opponent than just plain old lying." Marcy picked up her cards. "Bonnie, why don't you go first?"

"Ok. Uhm...two aces." Bonnie dropped her cards in the center of the table.

"Bullshit, Bonnie." Her mouth hung open and she flipped her cards. The ace of diamonds, and the three of hearts.

"How'd you know?"

"Because I know you, Bonnie. And I did say this game was about reading your opponents." Bonnie huffed, and picked up her cards. "Mrs. Buchman?"

"One two."

"Three threes." Mr. Buchman chimed in.

"Two fours." Marcy withdrew two separated cards from her hand and added them to the stack.

"Bullshit. Show them, Marceline." Mr. Buchman was flashed a toothy grin as Marcy revealed her cards to be exactly what she said they were, in diamonds and hearts. Mr. Buchman's eyes narrowed slightly, and he picked the entire pile off the table.

"My turn again. Two fives." Bonnie deposited her cards, but was not challenged this time.

"One six."

"Two sevens."

"I call bullshit. Flip 'em." Marceline pointed her finger at the pile. Mr. Buchman turned his cards up. A two and a six. "Back to your hand with all of it." Once again, Mr. Buchman added the entire pile to his hand. "My go. Three eights."

"Two nines." Bonnie dropped her cards into the pile.

"I don't believe you. Show me your cards, Bonnie." Mrs. Buchman put a foot out into the pond. Unfortunately, it was colder than she thought.

"Sorry Mom." Bonnie's cards were exactly what she said.

"Oh...fine. Two tens, then."

"Three jacks." Mr. Buchman cast a glance in Marceline's direction. She pretended not to notice.

"Two queens." Marcy asserted confidently.

"Three kings."

"Two aces." Mrs. Buchman was instantly called out by her husband.

"Bullshit, my dear." Mrs. Buchman sighed and picked up the cards.

"One two." Mr. Buchman started the pile again.

"Two threes."

"Bullshit, Marcy." Bonnie grinned at her girlfriend. But then it faltered when Marcy showed her cards. For the second time, Bonnie was forced to add to her hand. "One four."

"Three fives."

"That's bullshit, Mrs. Buchman." The older woman pouted, showed her cards to be false, and made her hand bigger.

"Three sixes." Mr. Buchman looked at Mary expectantly. She smirked back at him.

"Four sevens." She slapped her cards to the table.

"There is no way—I call bullshit, Marceline. Show us your cards." Her smirk grew even bigger, and she flipped her cards face-up. Sevens. All of them. Every other jaw at the table dropped. Marceline had just won the game with an astounding play and had not been caught in a single lie.

"That's...impossible." Mrs. Buchman stared in wide-eyed wonder at the cards on the table.

"No...no, it is possible. Marcy never added anything to her hand. That means she was dealt the four sevens to begin with. She did the math to figure out that she would end up playing on sevens. All she had to do was judiciously plan her plays and not add anything to her hand. Eventually, she would win and we couldn't do a thing to stop her." Bonnie finished her analysis and looked in adoration at her tall, raven-haired girlfriend.

"This must have just been luck. She was called out multiple times. Are you telling me she didn't lie a single time?" Mr. Buchman couldn't wrap his head around the epic final play, or how the game had gotten there. It seemed so improbable. His tone said that he undoubtedly suspected her of cheating somehow.

"No. I did lie a few times. But it helps if you can avoid lying as much as possible." Bonnie stood up and hugged Marcy, kissing her on the cheek once more.

"Marcy, that was incredible."

"Come on, babe. There's no way I was going to lose when I picked this game." The day went on without any more games. Christmas dinner was also less than traditional. Sandwiches were served to keep hunger at bay, while Mr. Buchman finely tuned his chicken and dumpling soup. He never used a precise recipe. Instead, he adjusted to taste each and every time. After dinner, a Christmas movie was on TV. Bonnie and Marcy cuddled under a blanket in the large chair near the tree. After the first movie, the next film was a sci-fi. A remake of an old television show. Sometime during this movie, Bonnie fell asleep, her head lolling to rest on Marcy's shoulder. The Vampire Queen smiled, pressing her cheek against a head of soft, pink hair. She savored every minute remaining in the film.

"It's about time for everyone to go to bed. Marceline...if you would." Mr. Buchman motioned to her daughter.

"Time to wake up, Bonbon." Marcy shook her girlfriend awake.

"...Marcy? I fell asleep."

"Yes, you did. Here, let me take you up to bed." Marcy scooped Bonnie into her arms. Carrying her upstairs, she felt Bonnie kiss her lightly on the neck. She let the girl rest on the bed, and covered her with the pink comforter.

"Mmmm. I wish you could stay."

"Me too. But hey, I'm not really that far." Bonnie nodded, reaching up to her girlfriend's face. Her fingers traced a pale cheek.

"Goodnight, Marcy." Marceline pressed the hand to her cheek for a moment, and kissed the palm.

"Goodnight Bonbon." She walked out and shut the door quietly. As she came downstairs, the television was off. The Buchmans were gone, likely downstairs. She sighed. "So that's it, then." She shoved her feet back into her boots, threw on her jacket, and went back out into the freeze. As the wind tore at her on her drive to Finn and Jake's, she thought about Bonnie. _She's so sweet. I really wish I could show her how I feel whenever I want to. She's my girlfriend. I shouldn't have to cram all of this so far down. It makes her all the more tempting to look at. That pretty face, that lovely voice, and those curves...what I wouldn't give to spend even a few private hours with her. _She gripped her handlebars tightly. _Come on, Marceline. If you think you're getting anywhere _near_ her with her parents around, you must have serious poo brain. _

**Well, trying to finish this in time was an ordeal. Seemed like so many things got in my way. I make no promises about New Years. I will try to get one posted around that time. Again, having work again is difficult for my writing. But whether or not a chapter is posted by the end of New Years day, the fic will have New Years events. After all, can't neglect the emotional potential holidays bring to the relationships we have with friends, family, and especially partners. Again, Merry Christmas everyone. And, should I be out longer than expected, have a Happy New Year.**


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